The United States had an average per-capita meat and poultry consumption of 99 pounds of chicken, 59 pounds of beef, and 52 pounds of pork. And they’re [we’re] projected to eat 10 more pounds of all three combined in 10 years [https://www.statista.com/statistics/189222/average-meat-consumption-in-the-us-by-sort/]
E-Coli has always been the Big One in Beef. Salmonella in chicken and eggs, and it used to be Trichinosis in pork, but now Salmonella is the tops there. Both can contaminate all three living species. And listeria and norovirus are everywhere, but much less common in minimally-processed meat.
Salmonella in eggs and poultry can easily and inexpensively be prevented 98%+ by vaccination of chickens. But the US Poultry and egg lobby will not allow it, so its still incredibly common here in the U.S. E-coli in beef and pork can be prevented by better slaughtering practices, yet we still hear of plenty of recalls of products due to e-coli. And trichinosis has been virtually eradicated in farmed pork, laevin its next nemesis E-Coli.
Listeria is another common top pathogen usually in dairy products, lunchmeats of all types, and lets not forget vegetables. MOST foodborne illnesses come from … VEGETABLES <gasp!>. Yes, were on the winning team here in r/meat, it’s the vegetables that will kill you! Out of 17 food categories, 46% of foodborne illnesses came from vegetables while a mere 19% come from meats.
Regardless of how you or a restaurant cooks it, or even if it’s cooked at all: What do you think is the safest meat of the 3 to buy, which will be least contaminated, and will be the least likely to make somebody sick from any/all of the top pathogens. Note that you one doesn’t even have to knowingly consume it to possibly get sick.
The USDA would never compile or release any report stating any such thing due to politics and lobbies. So I suspect credible cites will be hard to come by, and would be from somebody with an agenda (such as SIG’s). I certainly have an opinion, but its just that – an informed logical opinion.
This is poll form if you want to be brief, but an explanation of why or any other side comments are welcomed in the comments. This is NOT a marketing study or term paper, it’s just for reddit and r/meat.
[View Poll](https://www.reddit.com/poll/187rxbb)
by SpicyBeefChowFun
2 Comments
Question: Are you a hypochondriac?
Any type of meat can be safe if properly cooked, so your “Regardless of how you or a restaurant cooks it, or even if it’s cooked at all: What do you think is the safest meat” statement will really skew your data. Raw beef is safe to consume, pork and chicken, less so.
The major concern with beef is bacterial contamination and mostly in minced beef because of the increased surface area and potential for introduction of contaminants that does not exist for whole cuts. Aside from that, beef is pretty pathogen free. Anything present will be on the surface and most likely be destroyed during cooking.
*Trichinella* is one thing, but *Toxoplasma gondii* is still a concern, particularly because it can be so harmful to pregnant women. Also, if you’re infected with these parasites it can be for life (especially if you’re exposed to oocysts). The worst you can expect from beef really is a few days or maybe weeks of temporary illness that eventually goes away.
Chicken is just… ick. The way that chickens are transported and held before slaughter makes contamination more likely than in beef. There are higher pathogen loads and it spreads more easily. Though if cooked properly it’s not much riskier to eat. My primary concern with chicken though would be animal welfare, especially in the US.