The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is reminding caterers and restaurants of the dangers of not cooking minced beef burgers thoroughly to remove harmful bacteria. In Ireland, 3% of raw minced beef is known to be contaminated with a particular harmful type of E. coli (called Shiga toxin-producing E. coli) that can cause kidney failure. Children under five years of age and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to this type of E. coli.
The Authority states that the safety of minced beef burgers is dependent on sufficient cooking to ensure the destruction of harmful pathogens. It recommends that beef burgers are cooked to a minimum core (the thickest part of the burger) temperature of 75°C before serving. For those businesses wishing to offer minced beef burgers prepared at lower temperatures, longer cooking times are required.