A 1993 E. coli outbreak sickened hundreds of people and killed four children, linked to undercooked burgers sold at more than 70 Jack in the Box restaurants across Idaho, Washington, California, and Nevada. The bacteria could be eliminated when ground meat reached an internal temperature of 164 degrees Fahrenheit. Jack in the Box instructed staff to undercook burgers because thorough cooking reduced taste. The incident became one of the worst foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States and drove significant changes in public health. New rigorous beef production regulations and testing rules were introduced, and the CDC prioritized tracing to identify sources and prevent recurrence.
"In 1993, just after he had been sworn in as the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton was faced with a major public-health scandal. During his very first cabinet meeting, Clinton would discuss the ongoing outbreak of E. coli, which had sickened hundreds of people, and left four children dead. It was one of the worst outbreaks of foodborne illness the country had ever seen, and the culprit? Undercooked burgers sold at more than 70 Jack in the Box restaurants in Idaho, Washington, California, and Nevada."
"E. coli, a type of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, is dangerous, but it is not invincible. When ground meat is cooked to an internal temperature of 164 degrees Fahrenheit, the bacteria will die. Unfortunately, though, Jack in the Box decided that its burgers didn't taste as good when they were cooked thoroughly, so it instructed its team members to undercook its burgers - with catastrophic results."
"The incident changed public health in the U.S. significantly, New rigorous beef production regulations and testing rules were introduced and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) started prioritizing tracing an"
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