Are the federally mandated safe-handling warnings present on every raw animal product outdated? For more than 20 years, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has required these products to carry safe-handling labels warning consumers that, although “inspected and passed” as safe and wholesome, the products may nevertheless contain bacteria that could cause illness if mishandled or not thoroughly cooked.
For those of us in with a background in food safety, we know what it means to “properly handle” and “thoroughly cook” raw meat. But what about the average consumer or 18-year-old restaurant cook?