FSA letter explains rare steaks are safe to eat

The Food Standards Agency has written a letter to Charles Campion explaining that rare steaks are safe to eat, following his article in today’s Daily Mail that incorrectly stated that the FSA has ‘issued “guidance” that meat in restaurants should be cooked until no pink remains.’

Copy of the FSA letter to Charles Campion

Dear Charles,

I am writing regarding your article in today’s Daily Mail entitled ‘What a bloody cheek!’

You write passionately about the delicious Basque Sagartoki steaks and how they are served crusted outside and very rare in the middle. You then say that the Food Standards Agency may be about ‘to put a stop to such delectable pleasures’ by issuing guidance which says that ‘meat in restaurants should be cooked until no pink remains’

This is simply untrue.

We have issued no guidance that would prevent steaks being served rare, we have no plans to do so and why would we?

Steak is safe to eat ‘rare’. Whole cuts of beef or lamb, steaks, cutlets and joints only have germs on the outside, so as long as the outside is cooked any potentially harmful germs that could cause food poisoning will be killed.

Some foods, for example, burgers, should be cooked through because, as you yourself acknowledge in the article they are made from meat that has been minced, so any germs will be spread throughout the product and not just be on the surface.

So let’s all continue to enjoy steaks cooked the way we like them best – safely!

Yours

Stephen Humphreys
Director of Communications