Is It Bad To Eat Raw Ground Beef Once In A While?

Posted on Tue, 12 May 2015

Question: Every once and a while I eat a little raw ground beef. I love the taste of it and it is like steak tartar. Is that bad for you if you eat a little once and a while. As a kid I always ate it but lately I only eat it very rarely. I just had a small piece while making my meatloaf.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Erion Spaho (40 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Is not that bad if it is controlled.

Detailed Answer:
Hi, I have gone through your question and understand your concerns.

Ground beef risks to health are more related to the possibility of infection transmission by disease causing bacteria.

Other risks include increased possibility of heart disease and hypertension due to fatty acids it contains, but this is true only if it is used oftentimes.

If you test it once in awhile and ground beef is controlled and certified about no bacterial infection, I don't think it causes any harm.

Hope this answers your question. If you have additional questions or follow up questions then please do not hesitate in writing to us. I will be happy to answer your questions.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T