Coliform bacteria are commonly found in animal intestines and can contaminate meat during butchering, leading to potential health hazards if consumed. Such contamination can result in food poisoning and gastrointestinal infections, necessitating proper cooking practices for food safety. Hamburgers require thorough cooking to eliminate pathogens due to contamination during preparation, while steaks only need surface cooking since bacteria are primarily on the outside.

1. Please find the answers and explanations below:
Why might one expect to find coliform in samples of meat?
Answer: The animal intestine normally contains coliform bacteria but these do not pose any
health hazard unless they penetrate the flesh/muscles. These bacteria are also eliminated from the
intestine by the route of egestion through faeces. While butchering, the animal flesh might
accidently get contaminated with this infected faeces or acquire coliform spores from the open
environment itself. This can directly lead to contamination and rottening of the flesh. Thus, due
to poor sanitation conditions, one might expect coliform in samples of meat which can cause
diseases.
b) What is the danger associated with this type of contamination?
Answer: Although these coliforms normally reside as good-flora in the intestine, but when
present in exceedingly high amounts such as contaminated meat, consumption of such food can
lead to food-poisoning and infection of the gastro-intestinal tract. This can lead to indigestion,
diarrhoea, poor assimilation of nutrients, vomiting tendency, nutrient loss and dehydration. Thus,
such clinical situations are alarming and demand attention.
c) In terms of food safety, why is it suggested to cook hamburgers medium-well to well-done
whereas steaks can be cooked rare?
Answer: In the modern times, the trend of packed food is very advanced. People tend to consume
pre-cooked or packaged food owing to ease and quickness. It is very well known that bacteria are
omnipresent in nature and given a chance, they can definitely incubate on a substratum surface
and contaminate it. The steak surface are very good substratum for this purpose. However,
heating the steaks can lead to decontamination since bacteria cannot survive on heat. This is why
it is said that the food should be properly cooked on heat before eating.
Hamburgers are particularly prone to infection due to added reasons. During process of making a
hamburger, the metallic dicers are used to finely chop the meat. Since these metallic dicers
remain open in contact with air, they are highly vulnerable for infectious growth of
bacteria/pathogens. Moreover, mechanical churning of the meat will further promote even
distribution of the pathogen in the complete lot of the hamburgers making them more vulnerable
to infection. Thus, it is always strictly suggested to cook hamburgers medium-well to well-done.
On the other hand, the steaks are only surface infected with bacteria and small and short episodes
of heat exposure can directly kill these pathogens. Thus, it is suggested that cooking the steaks
moderately is accepted in terms of food safety.
Solution

2. Please find the answers and explanations below:
Why might one expect to find coliform in samples of meat?
Answer: The animal intestine normally contains coliform bacteria but these do not pose any
health hazard unless they penetrate the flesh/muscles. These bacteria are also eliminated from the
intestine by the route of egestion through faeces. While butchering, the animal flesh might
accidently get contaminated with this infected faeces or acquire coliform spores from the open
environment itself. This can directly lead to contamination and rottening of the flesh. Thus, due
to poor sanitation conditions, one might expect coliform in samples of meat which can cause
diseases.
b) What is the danger associated with this type of contamination?
Answer: Although these coliforms normally reside as good-flora in the intestine, but when
present in exceedingly high amounts such as contaminated meat, consumption of such food can
lead to food-poisoning and infection of the gastro-intestinal tract. This can lead to indigestion,
diarrhoea, poor assimilation of nutrients, vomiting tendency, nutrient loss and dehydration. Thus,
such clinical situations are alarming and demand attention.
c) In terms of food safety, why is it suggested to cook hamburgers medium-well to well-done
whereas steaks can be cooked rare?
Answer: In the modern times, the trend of packed food is very advanced. People tend to consume
pre-cooked or packaged food owing to ease and quickness. It is very well known that bacteria are
omnipresent in nature and given a chance, they can definitely incubate on a substratum surface
and contaminate it. The steak surface are very good substratum for this purpose. However,
heating the steaks can lead to decontamination since bacteria cannot survive on heat. This is why
it is said that the food should be properly cooked on heat before eating.
Hamburgers are particularly prone to infection due to added reasons. During process of making a
hamburger, the metallic dicers are used to finely chop the meat. Since these metallic dicers
remain open in contact with air, they are highly vulnerable for infectious growth of
bacteria/pathogens. Moreover, mechanical churning of the meat will further promote even
distribution of the pathogen in the complete lot of the hamburgers making them more vulnerable
to infection. Thus, it is always strictly suggested to cook hamburgers medium-well to well-done.
On the other hand, the steaks are only surface infected with bacteria and small and short episodes
of heat exposure can directly kill these pathogens. Thus, it is suggested that cooking the steaks
moderately is accepted in terms of food safety.