European food safety group safefood is urging consumers to be extra vigilant when cooking meats that have been minced, skewered or rolled such as burgers, sausages and kebabs. These types of meats should be thoroughly cooked and never served rare or pink in the middle.
With whole cuts of meat, such as steak, any harmful bacteria will live on the outside only. However, when meat is minced or chopped up, the bacteria is moved around. These meats must be cooked thoroughly to avoid food poisoning.
The World Health Organisation has reported at least 40% of foodborne illness occurs in the home. A further report has found that 50% of burgers cooked in the home were not properly cooked. The same study revealed that harmful bacteria were found in 40% of foods cooked at barbecues.