Additional technical innovations developed and advanced by the industry also will improve beef safety. The good news is that almost all bacteria are harmless to humans. Many types of bacteria can even be helpful in some ways. Of course, some are harmful to humans and should be avoided and, if possible, eliminated. The beef industry is spending millions of dollars to help combat harmful bacteria, conducting research and information programs that can greatly reduce numbers of bacteria that might find their way to the dinner table.
Harmful bacteria are practically non-existent in fresh, uncut meat.
However, bacteria can be deposited onto beef carcasses and potentially can become a problem when meat is cut into steaks or roasts or is processed into ground beef. In addition, inadequate sanitation in packaging, marketing or preparation can possibly lead to hazardous contamination of beef products. If not stopped at one of the points of entry, or addressed in proper beef preparation, some food-borne bacteria can lead to illness and, in very rare cases, death. For example, recent producer-funded research found an alternative to trimming contaminants from carcasses with knives at packing plants. The research showed that spraying beef carcasses with hot water or steam, then vacuuming the carcass surfaces, works at least as well as knife-trimming.