USDA begins testing ground beef supply for BIRD FLU as steak dinners and ... trends now
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US health officials will begin testing ground beef for bird flu amid concerns that the virus could enter commercial meat supply.
Federal health officials have insisted that meat is safe, but there are growing fears concerned about the virus that has been spotted in commercial milk after tearing through farms across the country.
Three studies conducted by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) will test for particles of avian flu in beef sold in grocery stores or in the muscles of dairy cows sent to slaughter.
The research will also look for evidence that cooking meat thoroughly – opting for a burger well done – will kill the virus.
An ex-FDA food safety expert previously urged DailyMail.com readers to only eat well-done beef and avoid runny eggs while the outbreak rages.
Ground beef will be tested for avian flu. If it's detected, American's beloved burgers may not be as available for Memorial Day
To date, no avian flu has been found in beef cattle. But before last month, it had never been seen in dairy cows either.
In fact, testing on grocery store milk suggested one in five of the products contain the virus, though experts insist the fragments are inactive and cannot infect people who drink the contaminated milk
A USDA official said in a statement: ‘USDA has a rigorous meat inspection process, where USDA's Food Safety and Inspection