a salmonella outbreak has us wondering: what's the point of an onion?
the recent salmonella recall has us wondering: do onions have anything to offer other than bad breath and stinging eyes?
the “cannibal sandwich,” an infamous (or famous, depending on who you ask) wisconsin holiday tradition has divided the twitterverse. also going by the name “tiger meat,” this dish supposedly has roots in the german mettbrötchen , a sandwich made from raw minced pork.
“for many #wisconsin families, raw meat sandwiches are a #holiday tradition, but eating raw meat is never recommended because of the bacteria it can contain,” the wisconsin department of health services tweeted this week. “ground beef should always be cooked to 160 degrees!”
for many #wisconsin families, raw meat sandwiches are a #holiday tradition, but eating raw meat is never recommended because of the bacteria it can contain. ground beef should always be cooked to 160 degrees! get more holiday food safety tips: https://t.co/h3fi4tfpye #foodsafety pic.twitter.com/jdqmkt6uou
— widepthealthservices (@dhswi) december 12, 2020
many die-hard wisconsinites are not fazed by the annual warning to stay away. last christmas, bunzel’s meat market in milwaukee, wisconsin, sold over 1,000 pounds of raw beef and over 250 pounds of onions for cannibal sandwiches, according to wisconsin public radio.
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oh, and just the meat in a bowl. no sandwiches. dig in with your fingers. 😄
— aspree 😀💘🎵💜💕 (@aspree_berean) december 13, 2020
raw beef, no matter the cut or quality, can potentially become a breeding ground for salmonella , e. coli o157:h7, campylobacter or listeria .
in 2013, 14 people were infected with e. coli o157:h7 after consuming cannibal sandwiches made with contaminated beef. three more people were infected by eating food that had been cross-contaminated with the meat.
since 1984, eight outbreaks of have been linked to eating raw ground beef by the wisconsin department of health services . in december 1994, 150 people became sick from salmonella from raw ground beef.
salmonella , a bacteria commonly found in animal intestines, is one of the most common causes of food-borne illness in the u.s. and canada. typically transferred to the rest of the meat during the butchering process, individuals who come into contact with salmonella may contract salmonellosis. symptoms include fever, nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea and will typically last four to seven days.
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illnesses are not uncommon — a review completed by ontario public health found consuming raw meat accounted for 63 outbreaks of foodborne illnesses in canada between january, 1, 2010 and february 21, 2018. salmonella was the worst offender, causing 22 reported outbreaks from raw beef and 12 from raw pork. alarmingly, two outbreaks of hepatitis e were also recorded from the consumption of raw pork over this timeframe.
restaurants are legally allowed to serve raw meat in canada with exception of prince edward island. local health bodies across the country, however, may impose different restrictions.
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emjones@postmedia.com | @jonesyjourn