Cook It Right and It’s Still Dangerous

August 23, 2000

The vegetarian-prone Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is on the warpath again – this time against meat at any temperature. The group has complained to USDA that a new campaign promoting the use of thermometers in meat preparation means the meat is safe to eat. The campaign features "Thermy," a cartoon thermometer, who claims, "It's safe to bite when the temperature is right."

PCRM wants consumers to believe that meat is unsafe at any temperature. "While a thermometer can indicate whether food is hot enough to kill bacteria, it can't do a thing about measuring fat, cholesterol, carcinogens or all the other deadly hazards in meat," says PCRM president Neal Barnard. "To suggest that meat is completely `safe’ if cooked at a high temperature is a deadly mistake. The USDA should not be ignoring the enormous body of research linking meat consumption to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and other serious health problems."

The group’s complaint argues that while heat may kill microorganisms, it's useless against fat and cholesterol, two main elements implicated in the development of many chronic diseases. Moreover, meats prepared under high cooking temperatures often contain heterocyclic amines, potent carcinogens that form from amino acids, creatine, and natural sugars, according to PCRM.

"The bottom line is that meat is a risky food, whether or not it's been cooked thoroughly," says Barnard. "The USDA would do better to promote a healthy, vegetarian diet."

Since USDA is not likely to do that in the near future, some observers may find it strange for a "physicians" group to oppose a campaign aimed at reducing a well-documented health risk. The internal temperature of meat is an important indicator of food safety, and for most consumers, the alternative to a meat thermometer is probably not a vegetarian diet but meat that has not been checked for temperature.