The main difference between American beef and Canadian beef comes from the actual grading of the beef. Prime graded beef (BTW this is what we serve at my work, ground) are identical in Canada and the U.S. but Canada does not allow any dark colored meat, yellow fat, older animals, or off-quality characteristics, unlike the U.S. The U.S allows these but decreases the grade of beef depending on individual circumstances. This means meat in the U.S. is downgraded to a lower level of prime but still remains prime. In Canada if any of these factors exist then the beef is automatically downgraded to a B instead of an A – making it no longer prime. This difference automatically makes more beef in Canada graded lower. Restaurants therefore cook it to a higher temperature. It does not mean that the meat has a higher probability of containing bacteria.

In fact, it should be noted that you can’t even tell if the meat you are consuming contains bacteria just by looking at it. For instance, a burger that is brown throughout can still kill you. The inside color of a hamburger doesn’t guarantee that it is fully cooked. Previously frozen beef turns brown long before it reaches an internal temperature high enough to kill E Coli. To remove any possibility of consuming harmful bacteria you should always check meat with a thermometer prior to serving it. What are the odds that the restaurants you are eating at are actually doing this? Just a thought.