Washing Ground Beef

Put it in the category of things you probably never thought of doing. Suddenly, washing ground beef is a hot topic thanks to TikTok videos showing some home cooks taking the extra step with raw meat.

Here's how it works: You use something like cheesecloth to line a colander, add fresh ground beef, and run cold water through it before cooking. Multiple videos showing the process lit up on the social media site recently, one with over 5 million views. This is all creating a lot of questions, most notably, "Why?"

USDA's Food Safety & Inspection Service does not recommend washing meat -- not beef, not poultry. Not only does the practice not destroy bacteria, but it can actually spread bacteria through splashing of the water and the use of additional utensils in the process. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also advises against the practice, citing cross-contamination as a reason.

The idea behind all this washing appears to be removing any harmful bacteria that might be present. But water won't kill these bacteria, only heat will. That makes it important to cook beef and poultry to the right internal temperature.

When it comes to ground beef, USDA recommends cooking it long enough to reach a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. For poultry, that temperature is 165 degrees F. For whole cuts of meat, like steak, pork, lamb or veal, USDA considers a safe internal temperature to be 145 degrees F.

What if you like your steak rare? Although rare steak is only prepared to an internal temperature of about 125 degrees F, it is usually considered safe because the density of the meat means most bacteria live on the surface and can't penetrate the interior.

Lastly, killing bacteria on meat and poultry isn't just about what happens when it's cooked. Be especially careful about leaving any meat out of the refrigerator for a long time. Bacteria can double every 20 minutes at room temperature, but at 40 degrees F or lower, bacterial growth is minimized.

Victoria Myers can be reached at vicki.myers@dtn.com

Follow her on Twitter @myersPF

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