Nanny controls the cooking
The Club refused to serve my friend liver cooked pink, even though that is what most chefs recommend. There are quite a few examples where official food-safety regulations or government advice have conflicted with culinary preference or tradition.
For decades, UK government advice (after the 1988 salmonella scare) was to fully cook eggs until both white and yolk were solid. This meant no soft-boiled eggs, hollandaise, mayonnaise made with raw yolks, etc. No dipping bread soldiers into runny egg yolks. Only after the introduction of the British Lion mark scheme in the 1990s, and updated guidance in 2017, did the FSA relax the advice for most people.
In many countries (including the UK, Australia, and the US), local health departments discourage or restrict serving raw or very rare beef. In the US, restaurants often include a ‘consuming undercooked meats may increase your risk’ warning on menus, a legal requirement in many states. Some local authorities (especially in Australia) ban steak tartare entirely unless the restaurant can prove strict sourcing and handling procedures.
Unlike steak, minced beef is seen as higher risk because bacteria on the surface get mixed throughout. UK and US authorities insist that burgers be cooked to a safe internal temperature (around 70 °C / 160 °F). The UK’s Food Standards Agency has allowed some exceptions for specialist restaurants with rigorous controls, but the default advice remains ‘no pink burgers.’ Fortunately Zédel will have none of that nonsense with its steak haché.
Raw milk sales are illegal in Scotland and heavily regulated elsewhere in the UK. In the US, it’s outright banned for retail in many states. Soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk (such as Brie de Meaux, Camembert au lait cru) are sometimes restricted or must carry warning labels. They banned my Lanark Blue at one stage.
Environmental health agencies frequently advise that shellfish should be thoroughly cooked to prevent norovirus and Vibrio infections. Raw oyster bars often have to display public health warnings. After outbreaks, some jurisdictions have temporarily banned raw oyster sales altogether.
Even though chefs sometimes note that chicken can be safely pink if it reaches the right internal temperature, official guidance remains categorical: chicken must be ‘cooked until no pink meat remains and juices run clear.’
In the EU and the UK, sushi-grade fish must be deep-frozen before being served raw, to kill parasites, even though this changes texture somewhat.
Traditional Japanese chefs often prefer never-frozen fish, but EU law doesn’t allow it unless the fish species is known to be parasite-free.
While many chefs and diners enjoy duck breast served medium-rare, as many people prefer it, UK food safety advice still recommends cooking poultry thoroughly. Some local councils have objected to restaurants serving pink duck unless they can document safe preparation.
Officialdom wastes a great deal of paper and huge sums of official salaries to prevent us having our food the way we like it. I know the risks, and I don’t need prodnoses to insist on spoiling it for me. A D-Day veteran, refused a soft-boiled egg for breakfast, remarked, “If I could handle the Normandy beaches, I can handle a soft-boiled egg.” Quite so.
Madsen Pirie