Benefits of eating raw meat
Some people enjoy the texture and flavor of raw meat. It's not really possible to eat raw meat safely because it harbors pathogens.
Some people eat raw meat, believing it to be healthier than cooked meat. While cooked meat is the norm throughout much of the world, some uncooked meat and seafood are considered delicacies. Steak tartare, beef carpaccio, kibbeh nayeh, ossenworst, and koi soi all contain raw meat.
Humans are omnivores and have the digestive juices needed to deal with meat, cooked or not. The dangers of raw meat are not related to indigestion, but rather, to infections. Cooking kills germs. Eating meat raw, on the other hand, puts you at risk of contracting infectious diseases.
Every year, 48 million people fall sick because of foodborne diseases in the US. Some become very sick: 125,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die every year.
Some people enjoy the texture and flavor of raw meat. Oysters and clams, for instance, are often enjoyed raw. Some cultures also traditionally eat meat (and other food) raw. The Inuit people of Canada have a long tradition of eating whale, seal, and other meats raw. Middle Eastern and North African people similarly eat dishes like kibbeh that are often prepared with raw meat. Sushi and sashimi in Japan contain raw fish or meat.
This practice is not entirely without merit: The heat involved in cooking destroys vitamins and other nutrients. Additionally, Minot and Murphy won the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 1934 after using their raw liver therapy to treat pernicious anemia. We now know that the active ingredient that made this treatment possible is vitamin B12, which is destroyed during cooking. Heat can also destroy vitamin C.
Raw meat also contains animal enzymes that are beneficial for health, and it can be easier to digest.
The benefits of cooking meat
In their lifetime, animals encounter many disease-causing germs — bacteria, viruses, prions, fungi, parasites, and others. Their meat may carry these germs after they have died. Even accidental damage to their intestines during slaughter can release billions of germs, contaminating the meat.
Cooking, though, raises the temperatures in meat to kill germs. This keeps you safe from infection even if your meat is contaminated.
You should use a food thermometer to ensure that your meat is safe. Looking at the color is unreliable. Recommended temperatures include:
- Some types of pork, beef brisket, fish, and lamb: 145 F
- Eggs and ground beef: 160 F
- Turkey, chicken, and leftovers: 165 F
Never wash your meat. That won't prevent foodborne illness and may, in fact, spread any contamination to your kitchen surfaces, utensils, and other food.
Specific dangers of eating raw meat
Bacteria such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Yersinia often contaminate raw meat. Other potential threats include parasites such as tapeworms and Trichinella.
Salmonella infection
Salmonella is very common, living inside wild and domestic animals. Eggs, pork, and chicken are likely to be contaminated with these bacteria, which can cause food poisoning. In fact, Salmonella infections cause 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths in the U.S. annually.
Infection with Salmonella can make you very sick. You may have diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and a fever. These symptoms will appear 12 to 72 hours after you've eaten raw, contaminated meat. You may need hospitalization if the illness is severe and dehydrates you. Recovery usually occurs within 4 to 7 days.
Salmonella infections are often resistant to normal antibiotics and thus prove difficult to treat.
Trichinella infection
The larva of this parasitic worm may be present in the meat of animals. Carnivorous animals are often infected, and omnivorous species like boars and pigs can also carrytrichinella. The disease caused by this parasite is called trichinellosis.
You may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, tiredness, and fever when the disease sets in. Later, you may experience headaches, chills, joint and muscle pain, itchy skin, and constipation. Heart and breathing problems can occur if the infection is severe, and death is also a possibility.
Campylobacterinfection
These bacteria often contaminate raw meat, as well as poultry and eggs. Dairy products that haven't been heated or pasteurized can also transmit this infection.
Campylobacterbacteria live in the intestines of many animals and birds and may cause illness in humans. Symptoms manifest 2 to 5 days after consumption of contaminated raw meat. The most common symptom is diarrhea, which may be bloody. You might also experience abdominal pain, vomiting, tiredness, and fever.
Others
Several other microorganisms may also contaminate raw meat and pose a threat to your well-being:
- Listeria
- Yersinia
- Clostridium perfringens
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Escherichia coli
Eating raw meat safely
As you may have gathered, it's not really possible to eat raw meat safely. The only way to assuredly keep meat safe from infections is to thoroughly cook it.
If you believe in the benefits of raw food, you can take certain steps to slightly reduce the risks (though this is inadvisable, especially for people with reduced immunity, children younger than 5 years, people over 70 years of age with underlying conditions, and pregnant women).
If you want to eat raw meat, take special care regarding sourcing and storage. You should make arrangements with your butcher to let you have the cuts of meat when they're fresh. This reduces the chances of contamination. You should consume raw meat as soon after slaughter as possible.
Bacteria multiply rapidly at warm temperatures, so keep the meat in an ice pack on your way home. If you're not planning to eat it immediately, place it in the refrigerator. Don't leave raw meat at room temperature for any length of time. Meanwhile, keep raw meat in a sealed container on the bottom shelf of your refrigerator to prevent it from dripping on other food.
Keep raw meat away from other food and wash your hands thoroughly after handling it. Wash all countertops, chopping boards, and cooking implements.
If you're not sure your raw meat is fresh, it's best to discard it. You can't judge whether it's contaminated by tasting, smelling, or looking at it. Tasting even a small bit can make you sick.
Food safety is critical to your health, so think very carefully before consuming any amount of raw meat.
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Medically Reviewed on 12/21/2022
References
SOURCES:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "10 Dangerous Food Safety Mistakes," "Burden of Foodborne Illness: Overview," "Foods That Can Cause Food Poisoning," "Salmonella," "Salmonella. Questions and Answers," "Trichinellosis FAQs."
John Hopkins Medicine: "Food Poisoning."
National Health Service: "Campylobacter: important information," "Meat in your diet," "Salmonella: guidance, data and analysis."
Nature: "Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology for 1934."
New South Wales Food Authority: "Raw meat safe eating."
Northeastern University: "Please Don’t Eat Raw Meat, Warns Food Safety Expert."
U.S. Department of Agriculture: "If Kibbeh Is On Your Menu, Consider Cooking It."
