Tokyo Food Safety Information Center » Good things to know » Hold on a minute before you eat that raw meat!

Hold on a minute before you eat that raw meat!

[Caution] Deaths have been reported due to Enterohemorrhagic E. coli food poisoning because of eating the raw beef dish called Yukhoe. (September 2022)

There is a risk of food poisoning from eating raw meat. Therefore, it is prohibited to sell beef liver and pork meat, including organs for the purpose of being eaten raw.
In terms of beef, it is permitted to sell only beef that meets the standards and requirements which are based on the law. However, children, the elderly, or those who have little resistance to illness must not eat raw meat due to the risk of serious food poisoning.
Likewise, there is a risk of food poisoning from eating raw chicken meat or other edible meat.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government provides a leaflet for public awareness which summarizes points on how to prevent food poisoning due to eating raw meat. Please make good use of this leaflet.

Points to prevent the food poisoning due to eating raw meat

1. There is a risk of food poisoning from eating raw meat

The causative agents of food poisoning, including due to eating raw meat, such as “Campylobacter” and “Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157,” cause food poisoning with very few bacteria. Even when the meat is fresh, if the meat is contaminated with bacteria, food poisoning may result.

2. Children and the elderly are people at high risk from eating raw meat

Enterocolitis by Campylobacter often occurs in children. Food poisoning due to Campylobacter, not only in children, can lead to Guillain-Barré syndrome, which is characterized by paralysis of the arms and legs as well as difficulty in breathing. In addition, food poisoning due to Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (such as O157) has a high rate of developing Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome (HUS) as a complication in children, which can lead to renal disfunction, impaired consciousness, and even death.

3 The distribution of beef liver and pork meat “to be eaten raw” is prohibited

Beef liver may be contaminated by Enterohemorrhagic E. coli, regardless of the level of freshness or sanitation management method. In addition, pork meat is likely contaminated by hepatitis E virus, food poisoning bacteria, or parasites. Therefore, today it is prohibited by the law to sell or provide beef liver and pork, including organs, to be eaten raw.
In terms of chicken meat, there is a risk of food poisoning from eating it raw because no standard is available for chicken meat to be eaten raw.

Leaflet

For residents of Tokyo (PDF: 3.2 MB) (Created in November 2022, In Japanese)
For business operators (PDF: 3.2 MB) (Created in November 2022, In Japanese)
For business operators (PDF: 2,418KB) (Created in March 2017, In Japanese)

Related sites

▲Page top