Snack Shacks quit serving burgers
After an E. coli outbreak that sickened at least three children, St. Helena Little League will no longer serve hamburgers at concession stands during games. The Napa Valley Register reported Sunday:
Jim Gamble, president of St. Helena Little League, said the organization's snack shacks now serve only pre-packaged and pre-cooked food. "The resolution was passed in early April. ... (The children's infection) was an isolated incident and we received contaminated beef. Unfortunately, these children got sick from it. We're all very grateful they've fully recovered. It was scary."Gamble said the three confirmed reports of E. coli were in children between the ages of 8 and 12.
To prevent E. coli infections from ground beef, cook all ground beef thoroughly.
Eating undercooked ground beef is the most important risk factor for acquiring E. coli O157:H7. Because ground beef can turn brown before disease causing bacteria are killed, use a digital instant read meat thermometer to ensure thorough cooking. Ground beef should be cooked until a thermometer inserted into several parts of the patty, including the thickest part, reads at least 160º F. Persons who cook ground beef without using a thermometer can decrease their risk of illness by not eating ground beef patties that are still pink in the middle. If you are served an undercooked hamburger or other ground beef product in a restaurant, send it back for further cooking.[2]
Avoid spreading harmful bacteria in your kitchen. Keep raw meat separate from ready-to-eat foods. Wash hands, counters, and utensils with hot soapy water after they touch raw meat. Never place cooked hamburgers or ground beef on the unwashed plate that held raw patties.
Wash meat thermometers in between tests of patties that require further cooking.
Other risk factors and methods of preventing E. coli infection can be found at the About-E. coli Web site.
