New Poll Reveals Knowledge Gap Among Public on Meat and Poultry Handling, Cooking...

New Poll Reveals Knowledge Gap Among Public on Meat and Poultry Handling,
Cooking and Safety

WASHINGTON, June 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new poll reveals a
significant knowledge gap among the public about meat and poultry handling,
cooking and safety.

Only a third (34 percent) of Americans correctly answered that a hamburger is
ready to eat when the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees F. One in
five said that checking the middle of the hamburger to ensure that it is brown
is the best approach -- a practice experts say is not an accurate indicator
that a burger is thoroughly cooked. Likewise, 18 percent wrongly said that
checking to see if juices run clear ensures food safety.

The poll, which surveyed 1,000 Americans in May, found that many
misconceptions remain, particularly when it comes to preparing and storing raw
meat and poultry products.

AMI's survey found that men are much more likely than women to know how to
identify when a hamburger is thoroughly cooked. While four in ten (41
percent) men know that the internal temperature of a hamburger must reach 160
degrees F before it can be consumed, only 26 percent of women knew this fact.

Overall, younger Americans are less knowledgeable about proper meat
preparation than older generations, the survey found. Only 16 percent of 18-29
year olds know to check the internal temperature of a burger.

Storage Procedures
Consumers also were uncertain about proper storage temperatures. Only 36
percent of women are aware that refrigerators should be set at 40 degree F or
below. An additional one-third (33 percent) of women simply admit that they
don't know the correct temperature for a refrigerator.

Among members of Generation Y, only one-third (32 percent) of Americans age
18-29 know that refrigerators should be set to 40 degrees F or below, compared
to half (52 percent) of those age 30 and older.

The majority of respondents (62 percent) were also not aware that the elderly,
pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems need to reheat deli
meat and hot dogs to steaming before eating them.

Public Perception
The American public is divided over whether they believe meat and poultry
products have more or fewer bacteria on them today than they did 10 years ago,
according to survey results. While 22 percent of Americans think that there is
more bacteria on meat/poultry today than in the past, 26 percent believe the
opposite is true and that today's meat/poultry has fewer bacteria. Two in ten
(22 percent) don't think bacteria levels have changed, and three in ten (29
percent) report that they just don't know the answer.

In reality, government data show a record of sustained food safety
improvements. The incidence of pathogenic bacteria like E. coli and
Salmonella are decreasing at high rates. USDA sampling of ground beef shows
that E. coli O157:H7 has decreased 45 percent since 2000 to just 0.47 percent
positive. Salmonella on market hogs has decreased 67 percent since 1998 to
just 2.8 percent. These strategies have also helped reduce the incidence of
Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products by 74 percent
since 2000 to the very low level of 0.37 percent. All of these bacteria can
be destroyed by proper cooking and reheating.

"The good news is that meat and poultry products are safer than they have ever
been, and this industry is committed to working harder to make our products
even safer," AMI President J. Patrick Boyle said. "Still, we all have a role
to play -- from farm to table -- in ensuring the food is safe when served.

Boyle noted that AMI will continue to use the radio airwaves, Web sites like
www.meatsafety.org and YouTube and other social media outlets such as Twitter
and Facebook, to empower consumers with the information they need to prepare
meat and poultry safely. AMI has been working to provide consumer friendly
information in a variety of formats.

He also urged consumers follow the four basic food safety steps: clean,
separate, cook and chill. He urged consumers to pay close attention to the
safe handling labels that are included on meat and poultry products.

For more information, visit www.meatsafety.org. To view video available in
broadcast quality, go to www.youtube.com/meatnewsnetwork.

SOURCE American Meat Institute

Janet Riley, jriley@meatami.com, +1-202-587-4245, or Tom Super,
tsuper@meatami.com, +1-202-587-4238, both of American Meat Institute