Staph at the meat counter

MRSA arrives at the supermarket

By Culinate staff

April 26, 2011

Given the numerous news reports over the past several years about the spread of antibiotic-resistant disease among factory-farmed animals, the latest news story was inevitable: that such drug-resistant bacteria are indeed in the meats — some 50 percent, in fact — available at your local supermarket.

A news release from the Translational Genomics Research Institute, the nonprofit that conducted the meat study, noted that properly cooked meats are safe to eat, but that improper handling of raw meats in the kitchen could lead to infection. And the feds currently don’t test food for the bacteria in question, Staphylococcus aureus. So buyer beware.