NCL Food Issues Following a December 24, 2009 recall of 248,000
pounds of mechanically tenderized steaks that sickened 21
consumers in 16 states, nine of whom were hospitalized, consumer
groups are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to
require labeling identifying all mechanically tenderized meat
products; to include these products in its sampling program; and
to inform the public and restaurants about the need for adequate
cooking of these products. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection
Service, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, has linked the illnesses to mechanically tenderized
steaks produced by National Steak and Poultry and distributed to
restaurant chains. Often used on less expensive cuts of meat to
increase tenderness, mechanical tenderization is a process that
inserts small needles or blades into a meat product, such as a
steak or roast. These needles or blades can transfer any
pathogens located on the surface of the product to the interior,
increasing the ri