I think that the responsibility for such food outbreaks in which the product should have been cooked the product more thoroughly or handled in a safer manner is on the consumers. I think that the manufacturer of the product does have the responsibility to make a product that is safe when cooked properly, and free of contaminants that would affect consumer safety regardless of how well it was cooked. An example of this would be a physical contaminant, like a piece of plastic or metal, that would hurt the consumer even if they handled the product appropriately.
I do not see the point in spending the extra time and money to rid the meat of microbes that would be killed anyway when properly cooked. I do understand that people like to eat some beef raw or undercooked, I think that the manufacturer should be required to disclose what temperature the meat should be cooked to as well as a warning about consuming uncooked meat. If these warnings on the label are present, I do not think the manufacturer should face damages if the consumer eats undercooked meat knowing the possible consequences and gets sick.
Often restaurant menus have a warning about undercooked meat at the bottom of the menu, but still allow customers to order raw beef. Since there is almost no one eating undercooked chicken, I do not see the need to rid the chicken of pathogens when everyone should be cooking their chicken appropriately. No restaurant would even let you order undercooked chicken since the risk of getting sick is very high and does not improve the product’s taste
The food industry should take steps to make the food as safe as possible, but it is unrealistic to expect the manufacturer to make raw products completely free of pathogens. Consumers must take responsibility for proper handling and consuming the products.
Comments
Hi Leo, I do agree with you that a lot of times it is on the consumers to make sure that their product is cooked all the way through and if they’re choosing not to then understanding the associated risks. However, with some pathogens that are not killed by cooking the product I believe that is on the manufacturer and should be treated like physical contaminants.
Hi Leo, I agree that consumers have a significant role in ensuring food safety, particularly when it comes to proper cooking and handling of raw products. While manufacturers should produce food that is safe when cooked as directed, it’s true that complete pathogen elimination from raw products may not be practical. Clear labeling about cooking temperatures and risks associated with undercooked meat helps consumers make informed choices. Ultimately, food safety is a shared responsibility, and both the industry and consumers must play their parts.
Hey Leo, I have a question for you do you think that the manufacture’s should precook all meat based products before selling them to the consumer? For example there are ready to eat chicken nuggets that just need to be warmed. IF the producers did this we wouldn’t have to worry about getting sick from undercooked meats.