Mills says ground product should be cooked until there is no pink color to ensure that all pathogens have been eliminated. The meat industry has developed new products that are packaged as marinated meats. The method frequently used to marinate these packaged products is called needle marination or deep basting. The injection process will transfer bacteria from the surface to the inside of the meat, which means those products must be cooked thoroughly. Mills says most needle-marinated products are clearly identified as being injected, but if you can't tell from the appearance or label, ask the store's meat department personnel.
Many processors sell meat cuts tenderized by needle blades.
Mills says some products, such as restructured pork ribs, salisbury steak, cube steak and chicken nuggets, are microbiologically similar to ground meat and should be cooked all the way through. Mills urges cooks to exercise great care when using meat thermometers to grill hamburgers. Many thermometers are not designed to measure temperature in ground beef patties, and temperature can vary widely within an individual patty. Even experts have difficulty getting an accurate reading. When cooking with charcoal, build the fire big, Mills says.