In The News: Rain, Taxes, Death.... and Contaminated Beef

It's time for another round of "ground beef recall"!

You guessed it -- E.Coli 0157:H7 has reared its ugly head once more.

This, by the way, is the same strand that, back in 1993, caused the death of 4 children who consumed contaminated meat at fast food giant Jack in the Box.

How do these outbreaks happen?

It's quite simply, really. Any healthy-looking cow can carry E.Coli in its intestinal tract.

Once the animal is slaughtered and its meat is ground up, E. Coli germs intermingle with it and, voila, E.Coli-infested beef is shipped off to your local grocery store.

To make matters more difficult, E.Coli-infested beef does not look, taste, or smell "funny".

This is why cooking beef to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit is crucial (it kills any living organisms).

Additionally, be sure to use separate cutting boards for meat and vegetables so as to not cross-contaminate your raw salad greens with any bacteria present in raw meat.

Of course, on a much larger scale, if our food production system was better regulated and not hell-bent on accruing profits while jeopardizing cattle and human health, we wouldn't be constantly facing these outbreaks.

Not only are cows in feedlots practically living on top of one another (significantly increasing the spread of disease among a single population), they are also on a completely unnatural corn diet, which appears to increase their chances of contracting E.Coli 0157:H7 (the corn diet makes for a more acid stomach environment, which the E.Coli strain loves).

I believe the personal is often the political. Our hard-earned dollars are an extremely powerful vote.

If you choose to eat meat, purchasing local organic grass-fed beef (if within your price range) can help bring some peace of mind to your health and support more natural and sustainable practices.