Can You Get Sick From Rare Ground Beef?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Can you get sick from rare ground beef? Considering everyone knows you can eat rare steak, you'd be forgiven for thinking rare burgers are fine to eat too. But this is in fact not the case. According to experts,

eating a burger that's pink inside could lead to food poisoning or even be fatal

.

What happens if you eat slightly undercooked ground beef?

Eating undercooked ground beef is one of the main causes of E. coli, which can cause symptoms including

diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps

. These symptoms usually occur between two and eight days after eating contaminated food and can last for up to a week.

Is it safe to eat rare ground beef?


A properly cooked medium rare steak isn't a concern, but medium rare ground beef is

. When whole pieces of beef are ground together, any germs on the beef's surface get incorporated into the ground beef mixture — meaning there's potential for germs to be present throughout a burger patty, from the surface to the center.

How long does it take to get sick from undercooked hamburger?

Salmonella bacteria are often found in raw or undercooked meat, raw eggs, milk, and other dairy products. The incubation period is usually

between 12 and 72 hours

. The symptoms usually last around four to seven days.

Can rare red meat make you sick?


No risk of sickness

So eating that medium or rare steak isn't going to make you sick. More to the point, cooking a steak to rare – an internal temperature of 135°F is heating the meat hot enough to kill the bacteria that cause those ailments in the first place.

Is it OK if my burger is a little pink?

Answer:

Yes, a cooked burger that's pink on the inside can be safe to eat — but only if the meat's internal temperature has reached 160°F throughout

. As the U.S. Department of Agriculture points out, it's not at all unusual for hamburgers to remain pink inside after they've been safely cooked.

Will I get sick if my burger is pink?

Considering everyone knows you can eat rare steak, you'd be forgiven for thinking rare burgers are fine to eat too. But this is in fact not the case. According to experts,

eating a burger that's pink inside could lead to food poisoning or even be fatal

.

Is it OK to eat a medium rare burger?

A juicy, rare steak is one of the delights of the culinary world. However, when it comes to burger,

rare or undercooked meat is a big no-no as it might lead to food poisoning

. The reason that you should always cook a burger or other ground meat thoroughly is because the meat is, well, ground.

What should I do if I ate undercooked meat?

Raw meat can carry bacteria which cause food poisoning and, accordingly, eating undercooked pork or chicken may result in food poisoning. If you experience symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, and fever after eating undercooked meat,

seek a diagnosis from a medical institution immediately

.

How can you tell if ground beef is undercooked?

If uncertain about the temperature reading, take a reading in a second location. Cook ground beef to an internal temperature of 160 °F as measured with a food thermometer. The color of cooked ground beef can be quite variable.

At 160 °F, a safely cooked patty may look brown, pink, or some variation of brown or pink

.

How soon after eating undercooked meat Will I get sick?

Symptoms usually start

12 to 36 hours

after eating contaminated food, but they can occur as early as six hours or as late as 10 days.

How long does it take to get food poisoning from ground beef?

Symptoms begin

6 to 24 hours

after exposure: Diarrhea, stomach cramps. Usually begins suddenly and lasts for less than 24 hours. Vomiting and fever are not common.

Can food poisoning start in 30 minutes?

Symptoms of Staphylococcus aureus food poisoning

Symptoms may appear rapidly,

sometimes in as little as 30 minutes after you've eaten contaminated food

. But it typically takes up to six hours for symptoms to develop.

What are the chances of getting food poisoning from undercooked beef?

That works out to odds of 1:50 of a burger-lover getting an E. coli O157 infection during his lifetime, but only to

1:800,000

odds of him being infected on a single eating occasion.

Can you eat ground beef raw?


Yes, it is dangerous to eat raw or undercooked ground beef because it can contain harmful bacteria

. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends not eating or tasting raw or undercooked ground beef. To be sure all bacteria are destroyed, cook meat loaf, meatballs, casseroles, and hamburgers to 160 °F.

Can you get sick from an undercooked burger?

Even if you cook a burger properly,

you could still get sick if you didn't handle the raw meat properly

. That's because of “cross-contamination,” in which pathogens from the uncooked food are transferred to food that's ready to eat.

How long does trichinosis last?

The following classic symptoms of trichinellosis often occur within 2 weeks after eating contaminated meat, and can last

up to 8 weeks

: Muscle pain. Fever. Swelling of the face, particularly the eyes.

What does undercooked beef taste like?

Compared to chicken or pork,

raw beef is often gamier and has a more intense flavor

. If you consume cooked meat in small quantities, some people may describe the flavor as ′′earthy′′ or ′′gamey,′′ while others will remark that it doesn't taste much different from raw meat when eaten in large quantities.

Does ground beef need to be fully cooked?

Yes. Raw and undercooked meat may contain harmful bacteria. USDA recommends not eating or tasting raw or undercooked ground beef. To be sure all bacteria are destroyed,

cook meat loaf, meatballs, and hamburgers to a safe minimum internal temperature of 160 °F (71.1 °C)

.

Is chewy beef undercooked?


Undercooked steaks fail to melt the fat in the beef and are quite chewy

. Additionally, undercooked beef might cause an upset stomach or even food poisoning. Overcooked steaks burn through all the fat and end up being hard, dry, and chewy.

What are the signs of food poisoning from beef?

  • Stomach pains/upset stomach.
  • Fever.
  • Vomiting.
  • Diarrhoea.
  • Nausea.
  • Bloating.
  • Aches and pains.
  • General feeling of being unwell.

What are signs of E. coli?

Symptoms of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection vary for each person, but often include

severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting

. Some people may have a fever, which usually is not very high (less than 101 ̊F/38.5 ̊C). Most people get better within 5 to 7 days.

Can you eat brown ground beef?

Ground beef changing color may not be bad — yet

It's simple really:

Once exposed to oxygen, ground beef will turn brown, and that is perfectly normal

(via The Takeout). This is similar to what happens to apples, avocadoes, and eggplants when they get a whiff or two of fresh air.

What is the fastest acting food poisoning?


Bacteria like Staph and Bacillus cereus

can make you sick quickly, within 1 to 7 hours. These bacteria produce fast-acting toxins in foods (such as meat or dairy for Staph, and starchy foods like rice for B. cereus). Keeping such foods refrigerated at 40 °F or colder helps slow or stop the growth of these bacteria.

How soon do you feel food poisoning?

Many people with mild cases of food poisoning think they have stomach flu. The time it takes food poisoning symptoms to start can vary. Illness often starts in about 1 to 3 days. But symptoms can start any time from

30 minutes to 3 weeks

after eating contaminated food.

Can you get mild food poisoning?

A typical case of food poisoning is one in which the symptoms come on pretty quick (definitely within a day, usually less) and the symptoms do tend to be rather severe, with lots of vomiting or diarrhea. However, after that, symptoms should settle down and you should feel better.

What should I do if I ate undercooked meat?

Raw meat can carry bacteria which cause food poisoning and, accordingly, eating undercooked pork or chicken may result in food poisoning. If you experience symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhea, and fever after eating undercooked meat,

seek a diagnosis from a medical institution immediately

.

Can undercooked hamburger give you diarrhea?

It's caused by bacteria that infect the intestinal tract and sometimes the blood. Usually people get it by eating undercooked meat and meat products or raw, unpasteurized or contaminated milk. Symptoms of campylobacteriosis include :

mild to severe diarrhea (sometimes bloody)

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.