Salmonella again...

[ironglow]

Salmonella outbreak..
    Another salmonella outbreak..
  Seems strange, but can you recall outbreaks when the butchers and slaughterhouses were local and usually purchased their animals from local growers.  Seems we never heard of such things very much....but here we go again;
 
  http://health.usnews.com/health-news/managing-your-healthcare/infectious-diseases/articles/2011/08/03/health-buzz-salmonella-outbreak-spreads-to-26-states-kills-1
 
  I usually buy my beef from a local farmer..50 lbs at a time.  He raises Scottish Highland cattle, which beef I prefer anyway.
  The problem with beef transmitting salmonella is the fact that they are "finished off" beofore butchering with a heavy grain diet.  Cattle being ruminant, are built to live on grass crop...a grazing animal.  Thery need grass/hay to keep their 4 stomachs in good operating condition.  If they were 'finished' with just hay for a couple weeks before slaughter, it would prevent much of the salmonella threat...but the grain puts on the pounds.
   My Highland beef is primarily raised on roughage, so no problem there.  Another benefit to roughage raised cattle is a leaner beef...  I try to stay as close to the source as possible.

[Swampman]

Most of it comes from cutting beef and poultry on the same block.  Cook your meat, and you won't get sick.  Eat it rare and die.

[no guns here]

I think I got a case of it a couple of weeks ago... licked the bowl of cake batter.  Whew... the next four days were rough and painful.  About four hours a day on the toilet and PRAYING for frozen toilet paper.
 
 
NGH

[ironglow]

With poultry, much of the problem comes from the method of slaughter.  With a small operator or butcher, they split and ress out poultry carefully..avoiding the entrails being broken and and contaminating the meat.  Some of the huge processing plants split poultry on fine piano wires..dragging smashed entrails through the carcase.  The processor then relys upon a water/formaldehyde mix to wash the carcase clean..taking several washes to accomplish the task.
      Better to not get the carcase contaminated to start with (IMO).
  Of course, the precautions given by Swampy...should be universally observed, no matter where you acquired the meat.

[Pat/Rick]

 I wonder if we'll see mention of more/stricter food safety legislation soon?

[ironglow]

  There are some things we can do for ourselves.  I don't think MORE laws is the answer, just the publication of the offender's name and natural avoidance of their products, should suffice to square them away.