Dr. John Luchansky, Lead Scientist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, PA stated, “The confidence in the inherent safety of plant-based products is misplaced.” He added, “In reality, plant-based meats are ultra-processed and contain numerous food-grade chemicals as ingredients.” There is little information available on the time and temperature combinations required to prevent the outgrowth of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria and how to reduce these pathogens during cooking, according to Dr. Luchansky.
Consumers have now been conditioned to thoroughly cook meat-burgers but the same cannot be said for plant-based material that is either undercooked or, in some cases, consumed raw. A microbiologist at the USDA-ARS Food Safety and Intervention Technologies Research Unit stated, “In reality plants are potentially contaminated with high levels of foodborne pathogens and as such, plant-based burgers should be considered and handled just like raw ground beef.
Despite the fact that there are no documented recalls or illnesses as a result of consuming plant-based meat alternatives, risks of infection are evident. The USDA Research Center advises consumers to handle plant-based products as they would raw meat, requiring cooking to 160F and avoiding cross contamination.