Meat Producers Find That Americans Are Ignorant Of Proper Cooking Practices

A Harris Interactive poll conducted for the American Meat Institute (AMI) has found that 80 percent of American adults do not use a thermometer to determine doneness when grilling hamburgers or poultry burgers. Three-fourths rely on sight to tell whether their meat is fully cooked. And 57 percent simply rely on the clock to determine when to take the meat off the grill – “not an accurate indicator of doneness,” AMI says. The organization notes that U.S. meat products are among the safest in the world, but like all raw foods, they can contain some potentially harmful bacteria. “It is important to take time to remind consumers about safe handling and cooking practices,” AMI says.