Food safety

[Un autre Gallois]

I have bought some of my fresh meat from our local LeClerc butcher's counter fairly regularly for a number of years. Last week I purchased two veal chops plus some minced beef and to my consternation the ticket issued by the butcher contains the following "A CONSOMMER CUIT A CŒUR ET DANS LES 24H" (followed with the description, provenance France, etc. This may well have been on previous tickets, but I confess to not paying too much attention! However, on enquiry at the counter the assistant told me it's the "informatique etc;" and the "logiciel", but it's ok you can cook it as you wish! I had already explained that I do like most of my meat cooked rosé or saignant! Next port of call was the information/welcome desk and after enquiries were made I was informed "nous sommes obligés". My response was that my regular artisan butcher is not obliged to give such notice so what's it all about - is Le Clerc's meat a problem? Sacre bleue! I shall in due course purchase from another supermarket to see if any advice is offered similar to that of LeClerc. For the foreseeable future needless to say LeClerc's boucherie will be out of bounds!

UaG

 

 

[Lehaut]

Having watched some health programmes on the TV when the fad of blood red burgers started, I understood that:

Solid bits of meat ie steak can be seared on the outside and eaten raw in the middle

Mince, needs to be cooked all the way through.

The logic (if I understand correctly), the bad microbes live on the outside of the steak exposed to the air and are killed when you sear the steak.  With mince and its high surface area exposed, the microbes are everywhere so you need to thoroughly cook it to the centre.

https://www.la-viande.fr/sites/default/files/article/telechargements/fichiers/beef_burgers_recommendations_for_safe_eating_0_0.pdf

Some rules in France only apply to large sellers (ie new shrinkflation rules).  We have never had a problem with meat from LeClerc, though for the good of the planet we don't eat beef. 

[Judith]

To the best of my inadequate knowledge pork and chicken should always be cooked right through.  Beef is as Lehaut says, except that mince should also  be cooked properly.  But living in a household where OH won't eat any meat underdone, everything always très bien cuit, no matter what the chef thinks, it's never been a problem for me!

[Un autre Gallois]

I did say that I liked most of my meat cooked rosé/saignante - I didn't make it clear that I was referring to lamb & beef! I have always taken the view that chicken/pork/mince should be cooked through and not kept too long. The ticket i referred to included an instruction which include the veal; the same instruction is include on a label attached to faux filet of beef! I do have concerns that there appears to be such a lack of confidence on the part of LeClerc's boucherie that this notice is given to customers whatever the type of meat sold. My regular butcher keeps his beef for at least 30 days to mature and there is full trackability, sometimes I do have it it "bleu" - à chacun leur choix!

UaG