Hidden danger: 5 reasons not to eat tartar

Tartar is a traditional French appetizer based on raw beef. The dish also contains egg yolk, shallots and many spices, the purpose of which is to disinfect the meat. So, ketchup, Tabasco, Worcestershire and soy sauce, herbs and much more are added to tartar. Why is tartar dangerous and why should you avoid eating it? We tell you:

Raw meat

Since tartare is made from raw meat, there is a high risk of contamination with bacteria, such as salmonella (it also lives in the egg, which is also present in the recipe for the gourmet French dish). Heat treatment of meat helps destroy these microorganisms and prevents them from entering the human body, but the tartare recipe does not involve such significant changes, since the peculiarity of the dish lies precisely in the structure of unprocessed beef.

Bacterial infections

Eating raw meat can lead to various bacterial infections of the gastrointestinal tract. These infections can cause serious illness that will require medical intervention to treat.

Parasites

Raw meat usually contains parasites - Trichinella or intestinal helminths. They can be eliminated using, again, heat treatment, but the tartar recipe does not imply this.

Potential allergens

Raw meat can cause allergies in some people, the manifestations of which can vary from relatively harmless skin itching to severe reactions (depending on the characteristics of the body).

Quality and safety control

When preparing tartare, a high standard of hygiene and sanitary conditions is important. In home settings or in poorly supervised settings, full compliance is not possible. Consequently, eating can result in health problems of varying severity.