What are the health risks of eating rare steak?

Question

I like my steak very rare (still mooing, as they say). What are the health implications of eating very rare (cold in the center) steak?

Answer 1

I am a Public Health Specialist. There really is not a lot of risk associated with the consumption of undercooked steak.

Steak is a portion of a whole mucle, and has not been penetrated and introduced to bacteria-such as E. coli-the way that ground beef has.

However, to be on the safe side, you should never under any circumstance allow individuals with weakened immune systems (elderly, young children-basically those under 9, pregnant women, or individuals with other health problems) to consume any raw or undercooked food.

Answer 2

To quote the first source below:" Not only do we need to watch we eat, but now we also need to watch the way we cook. An Escherichia coli bacterium is one of the most deadly diseases, usually associated with undercooked beef. People who eat rare and medium-rare steaks run the risk of developing life-threatening illnesses, such as kidney failure.

E. Coli is particularly harmful to young children and the elder population. Bacteria live in the intestines of people and animals. As harmful as it is, E. coli is used to produce K and B complex vitamins. O157:H7, a harmful strand of E. coli, is a strong toxin that once entered into the body can cause bloody diarrhea and other life threatening illnesses."

On the other hand, the second link maintained that eating well cooked meats may increase the risk for cancers. I guess we'll just have to settle for medium or medium-well even if some of us would much rather have medium-rare or rare. Again, the adage "everything in moderation" applies here too....

Answer 3

Dint confuse hazards of rare or medium doneness steaks with rare or medium doneness hamburger. In reality, the only surfaces that would be exposed to bacteria on a steak are the cut sides. The interior is "clean." In hamburger it is all ground up together, and there is no "clean inside" layer of meat. Hope that makes sense! Don't worry about what some arbitrary list of meat doneness says about you. Eat it how you like it. But I do agree that well done may be a bit more carcinogenic if cooked over wood or charcoal, and (as a medium-rare steak love), a waste of good meat.

Answer 4

There are both serious and non-life threatening diseases that can come from eating meat that is not fully cooked. Some of these include:

The Trichinella spiralis roundworm is found in almost every meat-eating mammal. People usually become infected when they eat poorly cooked or raw meat, especially pork. The larvae of the worm are found in cysts, or small capsules, in the meat. The individual's stomach juices dissolve the cyst and free the larvae. The larvae grow and mate in the person's bowels. The female worms produce more larvae, which go from the bowels into the person's blood. The larvae can go from the blood vessels into the muscles and form new cysts. This would affect other meats such as Ham, and certain brands of PORK steak. Cooking to a temperature of 212 internally or more usually destroys the roundworm.

Salmonella is the other infection that can come from eating raw or rare meet and is from a bacteria that infecte the body during digestion. The infection can lead to serious disconfort and loss of job hours. Particular care to meat is required. Beef must be cooked to a temperature of 180 degrees F or more and cooked completely to avoide the risks. The link to this information is below.

Botulism is a rare but serious paralytic illness caused by a nerve toxin that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. There are three main kinds of botulism. Foodborne botulism is caused by eating foods that contain the botulism toxin. Wound botulism is caused by toxin produced from a wound infected with Clostridium botulinum. Infant botulism is caused by consuming the spores of the botulinum bacteria, which then grow in the intestines and release toxin. All forms of botulism can be fatal and are considered medical emergencies. Foodborne botulism can be especially dangerous because many people can be poisoned by eating a contaminated food. This can come from foods that are not cooked properly of all kinds and in foods that are improperly packaged including canned meats, vegitables, and fruits, and in meet that is not properly cooked. Though rare it can happen. Still it is a risk that must be nentioned.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Brian R Cross.

Answer 5

I have been eating steak med rare for years (and tons of sushi) and have yet to get sick or become infected with e coli, botulism etc. I just had a full physical with blood work. Nothing was out of the normal. Its like sushi, the meat has to be fresh. Make sure your steaks are fresh and you can eat rare red meat.

I just had a rare rib eye last night and damn it was good! I never check my meat temperature, I just sear it on high turn the bbq down and slow cook for a few more minutes.

Answer 6

the meat that has been exposed to outside influences needs to be cooked but the inside of the steak is fine to eat raw

Beef does not have samonela!

Answer 7

Any illness that be born in uncooked meat. Cheif among these is e.coli. It just isnt a good idea to eat rwa meat any more. You can still enjoy a juicy well done steak by cooking it slowly until done, then browning over higher heat for a few minutes.

Answer 8

you could get salmonella