We stay connected to the local food industry. During our visits to several restaurants we’ve noticed an alarming trend. Many restaurants are serving raw and undercooked animal products, but may not be doing so safely. This week, we’ll begin a series of articles aimed at helping you deal with raw and undercooked animal proteins. For the first article in the series we’ll discuss how you balance MN food safety with the ubiquitous request for a medium rare cheeseburger.
The Medium-Rare Cheeseburger Food Safety Dilemma
On more than one occasion, the waiter has asked us if we would like our cheeseburger cooked with or without a little pink. The first issue we’d like to deal with is what temperature pink actually is. Pink is not a temperature. It is in fact just a color. There can be many factors that change the internal color of your beef patty. The only accurate way to find the internal temperature of a burger is to use a probe thermometer. If you have completed a food safety certification course, you will know that a beef patty does not meet the cooked criteria unless it reaches an internal temperature of:
- 150 degrees for one minute
- 145 degrees for thee minutes
We are often asked by Food Safety Managers if it is legal to serve n undercooked cheeseburger that is not cooked according to Minnesota Food Code requirements. According to the current regulations it is acceptable to serve raw or undercooked animal product if:
- A customer requests it
- The menu clearly states that the product is undercooked
- An asterisk next to the menu items directs the consumer to a footnote. Which states the dangers of consuming undercooked animal product.
Some of the language in the regulations can be confusing. Since we are specifically discussing undercooked burgers, we’d like explain how to deal with ground beef patties. If you’re comfortable with honoring a consumers request to serve an undercooked cheeseburger, then you legally may do so. To make sure that you are in full compliance with the law, include the asterisk and warning of the dangers of consuming raw or undercooked beef next to every burger item on your menu.
Solving the Dilemma
We strongly suggest that you do not offer a medium rare or undercooked burger on your menu. In fact, we’d suggest that your servers do not even ask if your guests how they want their burger cooked.
If you are uncomfortable with serving an undercooked burger, simply explain to the guest that you cannot honor their request. Because your establishment adheres to the Minnesota Food Code standards.
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