Burgers contain rat and human DNA, study finds

A study of 258 burgers in the US finds unexpected additional – and lack of – ingredients  

Upon ordering a burger in a fast food chain, diners might have already come to terms with the fact there is a very slim chance of horse meat lurking under that tomato.

But the additions of rat and human DNA could be harder to swallow.

A new study from US-based food testing company Clear Labs has discovered, from a sample of 258 burgers, two cases of meat in vegetarian products, three burgers with rat DNA and one case of human DNA.

“The most likely cause is hair, skin, or fingernail that was accidentally mixed in during the manufacturing process,” it read, referring to the human DNA.

“What many consumers don't know is that some amounts of human and rat DNA may fall within an acceptable regulatory range,” the report added.

It also found that there are “gaps” in food safety and quality standards, but overall the beef industry has “benefited from stringent regulation and aggressive testing requirements”.

Of larger concern than the “unpleasant” DNA findings was that almost a quarter of vegetarian burgers have different ingredients to those on the label. Two veggie burgers contained beef, and one black bean burger contained no black beans.

Although Americans are unlikely to mix up their bison from their ground lamb patties on the barbecue, it seems the burger industry is making that mistake. Around 6 per cent of the burgers substituted one product for another. A common finding was that, for meat burgers, chicken or turkey was unexpectedly added in.

Another problem is that 4.3 per cent of burgers contained pathogenic DNA, which can cause food outbreaks and food poisoning.

Certain pathogens found in the products can cause tuberculosis-like symptoms, gastroenteritis, foodborne illness and E. coli.

Pathogens in four vegetarian burgers, considered a low risk category for food poisoning, was “troubling”, the report said.

Mixed-up meats, possible illness and rats aside, for those watching their weight, it is worth noting that 12 burgers in the study contained at least 100 more calories than on the label.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/burgers-contain-rat-and-human-dna-study-finds-a7023661.html



Eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Eeeeeeeeeek!

I don't worry too much about meat being in vegetarian things - it's the intention which counts really. I'm not keen on fingernails though.

I had a good friend who was a Butcher, he said if people knew what was in those Kebab things they would never eat another. Are Kebabs those big lumps of meat that rotate in front of heaters and are sliced off when needed?

nicko wrote:I had a good friend who was a Butcher,   he said if people knew what was in those Kebab things they would never eat another.     Are Kebabs those big lumps of meat that rotate in front of heaters and are sliced off when needed?

you can have those kind or the kinds where you stick chunks of meat and veg onto a wooden skewer and put them on a grill or bbq.

I make my own kebab takeaway style meat.

Use beef, pork, chicken or lamb mince 500 grams
add garlic powder, smoked spanish paprika, 2 tablespoons greek seasoning or use a combo of basil, oregano, cumin, cayenne, salt, dried mint, coriander, chili flakes and parsley leaves with some lemon pepper (or to your own taste).

put everything in a bowl and knead and mash the hell out of it. Shape into a rounded oval and wrap in foil. Put 2 slits in the foil on the bottom. Make 3 to 5 small foil balls and put in bottom of a slow cooker. Add 1/2 cup cold water to the bottom. Rest the wrapped loaf on top of the balls. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. When you unwrap it, you can slice it in thin slices. I serve it in pita breads with salad, dribble of chili sauce, taziki, hummus and tahini sauce and then some thinly sliced potatoes sprinkled with garlic, herbs and Parmesan cheese and baked in the oven till brown and crunchy.

You simply never know what you're eating unless you prepare it yourself and even then you might accidentally sneeze and booger goes in unexpectedly

eddie wrote:You simply never know what you're eating unless you prepare it yourself and even then you might accidentally sneeze and booger goes in unexpectedly

SHUDDAP

Cass wrote:

eddie wrote:You simply never know what you're eating unless you prepare it yourself and even then you might accidentally sneeze and booger goes in unexpectedly

SHUDDAP

Adds a bit of crunch Cass

This thread was bad enough without that!

you cannot trust the "food chain"

effectively, it is "not fit for purpose"

so you "take your pick and takes your chances"

of course chemical contamination aside.....the rest doesnt REALLY matter if you are cooking the food...and you know HOW to cook, and of course practice proper hygiene in the kitchen

Whoever knew rat and human DNA could be so dang tasty?

nicko wrote:I had a good friend who was a Butcher,   he said if people knew what was in those Kebab things they would never eat another.     Are Kebabs those big lumps of meat that rotate in front of heaters and are sliced off when needed?

it is no worse than sausages.

Also it's the USA
So not really comparable to most places.

I have said it before there is a grade of mince Australia Produces that is illegal to sell as pet food here but it sold in burgers and tacos through out the USA.

veya_victaous wrote:Also it's the USA
So not really comparable to most places.

I have said it before there is a grade of mince Australia Produces that is illegal to sell as pet food here but it sold in burgers and tacos through out the USA.

What grade is that Veya?

Cass wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:Also it's the USA
So not really comparable to most places.

I have said it before there is a grade of mince Australia Produces that is illegal to sell as pet food here but it sold in burgers and tacos through out the USA.

What grade is that Veya?

it gets called
'taco mince'
too high in fat and too low in protien to sell here, tricon(Yum) that owns taco bell and KFC had a contract to buy as much as we produced back in the 90's. hence the name... not sure now, but it is still produced and still not sold here

Allowable to sell here:
pet mince (must be labelled 'not for human consumption')
Sausage mince (2 Star, often sent straight to processed food factories)
Economy mince (3 Star)
Preimum mince (4 Star)
Lean mince (5 Star)

beef mince is now 'graded' into 3 star with 17% fat, 4 star with 10% fat, and 5 star mince containing 5% fat.

We also have legally defined additons of 'organic' and 'grass-fed' that can be added to any grading.

http://www.olwenanderson.com.au/olwen-andersons-blog/beef-mince-equivalents

THIS STORY is basicaly a report advertising the services of the laboratory that did the testing...

IT IS  a private company offering services to the food industries -- not any kind of authority..

ANYONE who knows anything about food hygiene, handling and processing regulations, would already be aware that there are maximum % allowable levels of foreign matter that might be found in processed, packaged and modified food stuffs.    These contaminants can include :

Rat and mice turds
Insect body parts
Small amounts of wood matter
Vegetable matter in meat products
Meat in vege'/Vegan products
Peanuts
Minute amounts of pesticides and fertilisers
Paint, lubricants from machinery...

CERTAIN materials simply can't be completely removed from production line processes -- otherwise that production line itself would fail to operate..

ENJOY your dinner,  folks !

Yea I've seen the label "warning: may contain traces of peanut" or "made in a factory that contains/uses peanuts"

BUT!!

No labels that have informed us of any of the above, on your list! Which is worrying!!!!