i just ate a burger that was pretty pink inside?

Question

i thought i had cooked it all the way thru and by the time i realized it was pretty pink inside i had eaten most of it...could i get really sick? i know you are supposed to cook burgers good

Answer 1

Eating rare meat is a risk. However, eating rare hamburgers is especially risky because it is made of ground beef. You see, say the ground beef did indeed have Ecoli, because it's ground beef, it gets into all of the meat when it's ground up, and if you only cook the outside, the Ecoli will still exist in the inside which can make you really sick. With a steak it's different because even if it did have Ecoli, when you cook the steak on really high heat, just enough to sear the surface of the steak, you kill the bacteria and the rare meat inside is typically fine. Im sure you'll be fine though. You might get the runs, but other than that Im pretty sure you'll be ok. Monitor your symptoms and if they get really bad, you may want to see a doctor. I included a link that lists some symptoms to look out for. Good luck!

Answer 2

You could get really sick, yes - though not necessarily. But you'll know quickly if you are - since you noticed the burger as being undercooked right away, you're going to be more aware if you're getting symptoms of food-borne illness. Don't be paranoid, but if you start feeling sick (nausea, vomiting, whatever...) then you should check with a Doctor, just to be on the safe-side.

Chances are good that you won't get sick - people eat undercooked burgers all the time. But don't ignore any symptoms of illness either. :-)

Answer 3

Yeah, I know it is supposed to be bad for you, but really rare burgers taste SOOO good. I can't stop myself. I eat them rare on purpose all the time, and I don't get sick. I guess maybe I'll die of mad cow disease or something when I'm old, but at least I will have enjoyed some tasty burgers.

Answer 4

Just beacause it is a little pink does not mean you will get sick. Most beef is processed through a machine (not to give it chemicals) to kill most anything. Food poisoning from beef is very rare. Its as rare as eating a raw egg and getting sick. And that's as rare as getting struck by lightning in the same place twice. Don't worry. You cooked it, from your description, to medium. Medium or better is generally the choice people make to make sure they don't get sick.

Answer 5

Read "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.

The whole book online: http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Literature/Sinclair/TheJungle/

A brief review:
http://www.boondocksnet.com/editions/jungle/jungle_061215.html

Most have probably heard of this book and know it was written during the industrial revolution, but anyone that has worked in the food industry knows--It's still not that clean, just bearable. I like meat, but I wouldn't eat any of it rare.

Don't worry unless you feel sick. Poultry, when undercooked, is probably more likely to get you sick:
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/salmonella_food_poisoning.jsp

Answer 6

it will depend on how it was handled by you and when it was processed how it was handled, e-coli is what you will get from under cooked ground beef , it could be pink if cooked medium which is semi safe, deep blood red or blood juicing out you need to watch for symptoms,ie: diareha, upset stomach, vomitting then you will know you gave yourself food poisoning hope you come out ok

Answer 7

You could get E.Coli which is a pretty bad disease. Be optimistic! Some people eat raw meat all the time and they never get sick. Best wishes!

Answer 8

I eat rare burgers all the time!! They are so much better that way. When we were kids we use to eat raw hamburger when my mom would bring it home and pack it in seperate baggies. I wouldnt worry too much. Our society is super-hyper sensitive on all that....

Answer 9

people eat rare steaks... but I think ground beef might be different in that sense, because a great variety of stuff can go into the ground beef. personally, I wouldn't eat anything rare, I know how less than perfect most packing plants are.

Answer 10

People eat rare meat all the time. And tartar is raw, so if it was fresh, and refrigerated properly I'd say you'll be fine. Unless it was from a "mad" cow!!!