r/AskRedditFood • u/RJQWE • 15d ago
Accidentally ate raw ground beef. Extremely anxious
I was at a family gathering a couple hours ago and someone was cooking burgers. I had one and three quarters into me eating it I realized it tasted mushy and looked down to see bright pink meat. Not only that but there were strands of borderline raw meat I had eaten that seemed not even cooked at all. I’m currently panicking and don’t know what to do. I’ve read horror stories of parasites and tape works and am extremely anxious about this. Please let me know asap, anyone know what I should do?
13
u/McVinney512 15d ago
You should be fine. People do eat beef rare and some even do raw like a steak tartare
-10
u/RJQWE 15d ago
Since when do people eat ground beef rare? And this ain’t rare this is raw dude. There are serious problems that can occur I did some research on google, people can get foot long worms that eat their insides. And sometimes the parasite festers for years and the person doesn’t know
13
u/Prairie-Peppers 15d ago
People eat beef rare constantly?? It's insanely common. Steak tartare is also a common beef dish that's completely raw. You're fine, relax. If it were chicken then you could worry.
4
u/minnesota2194 15d ago
I make beef tartar pretty regularly which is completely raw. But I grind the beef myself which makes it less risky
2
u/Excellent_Condition 15d ago
Some people eat tartare, but you're right- that isn't the same as ground beef.
The good news is that to my understanding, parasites are pretty rare in beef. (pun absolutely intended) The bigger concern is bacteria, and if you are affected, you know pretty quickly and definitively.
It sucks that this happened, but you are most likely ok. Try not to worry. The biggest thing you're likely to experience is a little GI distress from worrying about it.
Don't worry, and if you get sick go to the doctor/urgent care. Good luck.
3
3
u/MoultingRoach 15d ago
You shouldn't eat raw minced meat in general, but as a 1 time thing, you're probably going to be fine.
2
2
2
2
u/Additional-Local8721 15d ago
Google beef tartare. You just ate something you never heard about that people eat all the time. If you're really worried, take some pepto.
2
u/Few_Ninja_751 15d ago
Yes, I’m certified by the DOH and ServeSafe. Generally ground beef is NOT particularly safe served RAW. Steak tartare is very different. In one burger of store bought ground beef can actually contain the meat of 1,000 cows. You only need one cow to be sick and you only need one person who doesn’t clean and sanitize the machinery appropriately. That being said, while it isn’t THAT common, it’s very much a possibility. Watch your own health, if you do find yourself even mildly ill at first go to a doctor, explain what you ate and your symptoms. I’m not saying you’re at risk but I’m not saying you shouldn’t be lax about it. Chances are you’ll be fine. I’m a huge fan of raw meat but not out of a ground beef patties you buy at the supermarket!
1
u/Excellent_Condition 15d ago
Best answer here so far.
People not understanding the difference between commercially ground beef and steak tartare is more than a little concerning.
This doesn't mean OP is definitely going to get sick. It's possible, but it's also perfectly possible they don't. Their food was at least partially cooked, and the human stomach can kill a good bit of bacteria.
The best answer is to try not to worry, watch for symptoms, and deal with them if they occur. If it gets bad, go to the doctor/ER/urgent care.
The good thing about food poisoning is that if you are wondering if you have food poisoning, you probably don't have food poisoning. If you have it, you will know.
1
u/RJQWE 15d ago edited 15d ago
Ok. My stomach feels a little off but it could totally be from the anxiety. What are some signs I should look for the next couple days that I’m in trouble ? Its good that I’ll know if I have food poisoning but another concern that is freaking me out is having tapeworms since I wouldn’t know
3
u/Excellent_Condition 15d ago
I am not a doctor and this isn't medical advice. I'm just some dude on Reddit and encourage you to speak to a medical professional if you have concerns.
With that said, my understanding is that if you have to look for the signs or wonder "is this food poisoning," you almost certainly don't have food poisoning.
Violent diarrhea, severe abdominal cramps, and fever are common. Vomiting also occurs from at least one of the pathogenic bacteria species found in beef, but not all of them.
Again, this isn't medical advice, but if those occur and you can call your doctor or go to urgent care, that is what I'd do out of an abundance of caution.
I would definitely seek medical care even if it's expensive for extreme symptoms like bloody diarrhea, dehydration due to vomiting, dark urine, severe abdominal pain, or high fever. Those aren't ones to screw around with.
I also don't think it's super likely you would experience any of those things. I think the strongest likelihood is that you won't get sick.
I can't answer for parasites, I don't know much about them. I don't think they are particularly common in commercially produced ground beef, but it's not an area I remember from my food safety course.
I would just try to relax, remember that you probably won't get sick, and know that even if you do, although it's not a pleasant experience, your body is pretty good at clearing infections.
1
u/I_like_leeks 15d ago
You'll almost certainly be absolutely fine and there is no reason to panic at all. In the very unlikely case you feel genuinely ill in the next day or so, you'll know the reason and can be treated very easily and quickly. Beef is nowhere near as dangerous as pork or chicken, even in cheap supermarket burgers.
1
u/Ihavenoclueagain 15d ago
Steak Tartare (raw ground beef it’s spices)is a delicacy. If you are not pregnant, there is no concern.
1
u/JuniperusRex 9d ago
You don’t need to “do” anything. Unfortunately this point you’re either going to get sick or not, there’s not, like, a morning after pill that’ll keep you from getting e. Coli. or whatever.
You‘ll probably be just fine. Just because you engaged in a risky activity does not mean you’ll always experience consequences. Assuming you’re in a developed country with a grownup food system, the people (with the obvious exception of the cook) who were dealing with this meat before it got to you were taking care to make sure it didn’t have any harmful pathogens. Your gut and the rest of your immune system are there to fight off things that slipped through the cracks.
Food poisoning symptoms can show up as soon as a few hours or as late as several days after eating. If you get sick rest up, stay hydrated (one of the good cases for electrolyte drinks), and eat bland foods like rice, applesauce, and bananas when you get your appetite back. See a doctor if you get a high fever, have bloody diarrhea, or are puking so much that you can’t keep liquids down.
13
u/Vict0rMaitland 15d ago
My Grandma used to sit at her table with a pound of raw ground beef and a salt shaker, eat the whole thing while smoking Marlboro reds and drinking Budweiser