The UK Food Standards Agency, FSA, has written a
letter to Charles Campion explaining that rare
steaks are safe to eat, following his article in
today's Daily Mail that incorrectly stated that the
FSA has 'issued "guidance" that meat in restaurants
should be cooked until no pink remains.'
The FSA letter:
Dear Charles,
I am writing regarding your article in today’s Daily
Mail entitled ‘What a bloody cheek!’
You write passionately about the delicious Basque
Sagartoki steaks and how they are served crusted
outside and very rare in the middle. You then say
that the Food Standards Agency may be about ‘to put
a stop to such delectable pleasures’ by issuing
guidance which says that ‘meat in restaurants should
be cooked until no pink remains’
This is simply untrue.
We have issued no guidance that would prevent steaks
being served rare, we have no plans to do so and why
would we?
Steak is safe to eat ‘rare’. Whole cuts of beef or
lamb, steaks, cutlets and joints only have germs on
the outside, so as long as the outside is cooked any
potentially harmful germs that could cause food
poisoning will be killed.
Some foods, for example, burgers, should be cooked
through because, as you yourself acknowledge in the
article they are made from meat that has been minced,
so any germs will be spread throughout the product
and not just be on the surface.
So let’s all continue to enjoy steaks cooked the way
we like them best – safely!
Yours
Stephen Humphreys
Director of Communications
For nore information
http://www.food.gov.uk/
Juicy rare steaks. Succulent duck breasts. Elf 'n'
safety killjoys want to ban pink meat. Outraged food
lover CHARLES CAMPION says: What a bloody cheek!
MDN
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