"High levels of MRSA bacteria in retail meat products" Commencing freakout.

I have braised country style pork ribs cooking on my stove right now

I doubt that any bug could like through the browning process and then the long cooking....could it?

 
No need to freak out...

... this problem has been around for a long time, the only difference is that now you (and others) are aware of it. Unless you like to eat raw pork, you will be fine.


over a year ago, I wrote a piece on my blog about it, so if you are interested, take a look at it here

http://bewitchingkitchen.com/2010/02/11/antibiotics-and-food/

the main problem with antibiotic use in animals that will be used for feeding humans, is that it generates a much higher risk of drug resistance.

I am not even slightly surprised that we find a high proportion of MRSA in pork meat - of course we do! Aren't they using antibiotics to allow animals to be overcrowded and not get sick and die? Of course this will lead to the selection of bugs resistant to those drugs

However, people cook the meat and if they use basic hygiene procedures, no cross contamination will take place and everyone will be "safe' - safe in the immediate future, not in the sense that bacterial resistance to multiple antibiotics will be widespread in nature.

So, the bottom line is, there is no reason to freak out about this particular fact, but do everything in your power to boycott meat that is mass produced, be it chicken, pork, beef... or fish.

 
And would you believe I have nine Smithfield boneless center cut pork chops that I'm going to grill

on my Breville indoor grill (can fit six and will freeze the other three) tonight? I'm using my favorite blackened seasoning (see link).

I just happened to see Sally's post which eases my initial reaction to the MRSA. Heck, I don't eat pork chops too often and they were on sale!

Looks like you, Karen, and I are porking out tonight and nothing will stop us! - Too late for that! Let's enjoy our dinners!

Catherine's Restaurant's Blackened Seasoning

 
smileys/smile.gif (a little more inside)

I think those issues are serious, but tend to be blown completely out of proportion.

IN another example, a couple of months ago in the news, they went on and on and ON about the fact that pathogenic bacteria can be found on handles of doors, phones, stuff that you touch all the time

so what? Are we seeing people getting sick from opening doors and windows? Are we all going to be paranoid about polishing the handles of shopping carts? That is all such a load of BS! They don't bother to explain that the "infective dose" for the majority of pathogenic bacteria is huge by comparison to what can be found clinging to the things around us (exception for Shigella and one type of E.coli O157).

They don't bother to explain that often they detect those bugs using PCR, a technique that will detect them even if they are dead, therefore unable to cause disease. They don't bother to explain that on top of all that, our bodies are well equipped to deal with bacteria and in fact, a little exposure is GOOD FOR YOU

I get so tired of the irresponsibility of the media when it comes to teaching people - you want to avoid getting sick or your kids getting sick? Teach them to avoid sticking their fingers in the mouth or nose when they are around sick people. Wash your hands (normal soap is fine) when you get home. That is about it. All the rest is there to make you buy anti-bacterial wipes and solutions that you do not need.

(ok, I will stop now... feel a lot better! smileys/wink.gif

 
One more reason to buy local & know your farmer. Just did a hog butchering today at one

One of our local farmers (their family settled the land here in 1805) did a hog butchering last year to teach people about it because they still use mainly old fashioned methods. They use a little equipment to make it easier such as a scalding 'pot' that the whole hog goes in but has a lever that helps them lift it up out of it and then an electric roller thingy to help remove the hair but other than that, it's pretty traditional.

His hope is to keep this art alive by showing people and hopefully increasing the demand for local meat. Their mainstay though is the garden. The pork is mainly for hams and side meat that they sell at their farmers market stand and processing for others.

 
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