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Keep Safe From Mad Cow: How to Choose Safer Beef
Healthy Child Healthy World
Monday, June 18, 2007
While the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is emphasizing that one mad cow does not an epidemic make, you may be feeling apprehensive about eating beef or serving it to your family. Humans can contract the human form of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), by eating beef contaminated with affected brain or central nervous system tissue. Experts agree that the risk of exposure to BSE in the United States is now low.
Nevertheless, you can minimize the risk of exposure to BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease) by taking the following steps:
- Choose 100% certified organic beef. Livestock that is raised organically cannot be fed anything but certified organic grain. Grass-fed or so-called natural beef may also be safer, but there are no laws governing what can be called grass-fed, and rules about the use of the term natural on animal products do not cover animal feeds. It is possible that natural or grass-fed animals are fattened up with conventional feeds before slaughter. Another issue is whether or not the animals were slaughtered in the same place as conventional cattle. Ask the supplier before purchasing.
- If you can't go organic, choose whole cuts of beef such as steaks and roasts rather than ground and chopped beef, or processed beef products, such as sausages and hot dogs. Ground beef is more likely to come from older cows (such as dairy cows that no longer produce enough milk). BSE occurs in older animals, and ground beef is likely to come from multiple animals. Ground beef and processed beef products are also more likely to become contaminated with central nervous system tissues due to the way meat is removed from all parts of the animal to increase the yield.
- Make your own ground beef from whole cuts of beef in your food processor or a meat grinder. Home ground meat is fresher and is less likely to become contaminated with food borne pathogens, like e. coli, listeria and salmonella. Avoid eating ground beef products away from home.
To find suppliers of organic and grass-fed beef, you can search the Eat Well Guide by zip code.
To learn more about Mad Cow disease, the latest news and how the USDA is responding, visit the Organic Consumers Association
Image Courtesy of JoostJB.
