Eating ground beef that is undercooked can make you sick. Bacteria can transfer to you when you handle ground beef or touch a person's hands or an object that was in contact with meat. Even grease carries bacteria. An audible rumbling in your abdomen can be a symptom of eating bad beef products. Various conditions may be the cause of your intestinal rumbling or discomfort. Follow safety protocols for handling meat, including grease drained from beef before serving.
E. Coli
E. coli is a potentially dangerous bacteria that lives in raw and undercooked ground beef. Eating E. coli can cause abdominal cramps and diarrhea that often becomes bloody. E. coli can also cause vomiting, fever, dehydration and abdominal rumbling due to gas in the intestines. E. coli may also cause a condition called hemorrhagic colitis, which is a type of gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis is characterized by an inflammation of the lining in the stomach, small intestine and large intestine caused by an infection. Audible rumbling and abdominal pain are common symptoms.
Salmonella
Ground beef grease may also contain the bacteria salmonella. Eating salmonella may cause headaches, nausea, abdominal cramps, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms typically last four to seven days and may begin as few as 12 hours after eating the contaminated food, though it could take 72 hours for symptoms to present. If you eat ground beef grease containing salmonella, you could also develop gastroenteritis. Therefore, intestinal rumbling could be a symptom of gastroenteritis from salmonella or from gas caused by diarrhea.
Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome
Hemolytic-uremic syndrome, HUS, is a potential complication of eating E. coli or salmonella and can develop from hemorrhagic colitis. Those rumblings in your intestines may be the beginning of this serious condition. HUS occurs when an infection in the digestive system creates toxic substances. These substances destroy your red blood cells, which damages your kidneys. HUS may even lead to strokes, brain damage and seizures in the elderly and young children. Early symptoms include fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhea and bloody stools.
At-Risk Populations
Certain types of people are more at risk than others for suffering consequences from eating raw or undercooked ground beef products. Young children, pregnant women, older people and anyone with a weakened immune system from a serious illness -- such as cancer or kidney disease -- is more vulnerable when eating contaminated food than the general population. If you fit into one of those groups, be extra careful when handling ground beef grease, crumbles and patties. Cook ground beef until its internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Wear gloves when handling raw meat and grease. Disinfect counters or surfaces that touched the meat products.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Ground Beef and Food Safety
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Color of Cooked Ground Beef as It Relates to Doneness
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Top 14 Foodborne Pathogens
- KidsHealth: Food Poisoning
- 123foodscience.com: Escherichia Coli Infection (pdf)
- Merck Manual Home Edition: Overview of Gastroenteritis
- MedlinePlus: Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome
- National Cattlemen's Beef Association: Reducing Fat in Cooked Ground Beef (pdf)
