McDonalds, for example, now grills its burgers on the top and bottom to ensure they are cooked all the way through. It has also dispensed with batch cooking and now makes burgers to order. However, although most bacteria are killed off by thorough cooking, it appears BSE may be able to survive high temperatures. Research is still continuing in this area. The government says beef now on sale does not present a health risk.
Meat includes muscle tissue, fat, skin, rind and gristle.
Until recently, MRM contained the spinal columns of cows. This was banned after concern that the spinal chord contained BSE which could be passed to humans. MRM is regarded as meat recovered from beef, lamb, pig and poultry bones, excluding the bones of the feet or head. High pressures are used to break down the structure of the meat so that it becomes a pur e. It is up to the food producer.