Why Are We Condoning Negligence?

In the maelstrom created by The New York Times article discussing the dangers (specifically E. coli) of eating ground beef produced by food giants such as Cargill, many observed that to avoid contamination we should be cooking our hamburgers to well done.

This may be true, but it’s absolutely infuriating on several levels.

First, cross contamination from raw beef occurs easily. Sure, your burger may be safe, but your cutting board or knife may now be harboring pathogens.

Second, well done hamburgers taste like cardboard. (Guess what word I wanted to use.)

Third, once you cook it to well done, most of the burger’s nutrition is lost.

Fourth, why are we condoning the food giants’ gross negligence in the realm of the safety of our food supply? Should we have to eat overcooked, tasteless food because huge multinationals need to make $337 million this quarter instead of $324 million?

For me, the answer is simple. I would sooner eat raw meat bought from my friends at the farmers’ market than eat meat from Cargill, Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods, no matter how much it is cooked.