Beef burger row heats up

A campaign group set up in the wake of an E.coli​ outbreak in central Scotland, which killed 20 people in 1997, has slammed the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for its latest advice on the safe cooking of beef burgers.

The Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome Help group (HUSH) said guidance issued by the FSA's Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF), was not a "safe direction to go down"

The latest recommendation was made in response to a request from fast food chain McDonald's to review recommended burger cooking times and temperatures.

The ACMSF had previously advised that burgers should be cooked for two minutes at 70°C to ensure that E.coli​ pathogens were killed. But in a report published last month, it said the use of "other time-temperature combinations should not be ruled out where producers are in a position to consistently demonstrate that they can ensure that the final product is safe, and that the process is under effective control"

"We argue it is a change," said HUSH. "We need a safety margin. We do not feel it is sensible for the FSA to issue guidance and have an independent caterer say, 'Well, this is safe'."

Peter Williams, who chaired the ACMSF ad hoc group on the safe cooking of burgers, disagreed. "To all intents and purposes there is no change in the advice given in 1998 by the chief medical officer."

Professor Sarah O'Brien, ACMSF chairwoman, added: "Any moves to deviate from 70°C for two minutes must achieve the same [microbiological results] as 70°C for two minutes"

The change to previous advice was welcomed by Dr Bizhan Pourkomailian, senior food safety manager Europe for McDonald's restaurants, which is keen to improve the eating quality of its burgers. "It has opened it up for us to investigate," he said.