Almost half of raw lamb mince sold in Australia ‘contains harmful parasite’

New research has revealed that almost half of all minced lamb meat sold in Australian supermarkets contains a potentially harmful parasite which can lead to vision problems and even brain damage in severe cases.

The study carried out by Flinders University, in Adelaide, and published in the Australian New Zealand Journal of Public Health, revealed that Australian lamb meat is commonly contaminated with Toxoplasma gondii.

The parasite causes inflammation of the retina meaning anyone infected by Toxoplasma may go on to suffer from retinal inflammation, with babies, older adults and those with a weakened immune system being particularly affected.

As part of the study, researchers purchased lamb mince from a popular supermarket chain in South Australia three times per week for a period of six months. DNA was extracted from each meat sample and tested for the presence of T. gondii, with the parasite being detected in a total of 34 samples out of 79 (43 per cent).

However researchers also noted that none of the samples contained any bacteria which can cause food poisoning.

Lamb is thought to present the highest Toxoplasma contamination risk of all meats, as it is often served undercooked. There are currently no vaccines that protect against Toxoplasma and antibiotic drugs also do not work against it, therefore once a person catches Toxoplasma they carry it for life.

Toxoplasma is most commonly caught from cats, which is why it is vital to ensure that you wash your hands thoroughly if you come into contact with the pet animals or after cleaning out your feline’s litter box. It can then be passed onto livestock which graze in areas of land that have been frequented by cats, according to the research.

The results led scientists to stress the need to ensure that meat is fully cooked before consumption, to an internal temperature of 66 degrees or medium, or frozen upon purchase to kill the bacteria, with the authors pointing out the fact that current government guidelines “do not advise on the need to cook fresh red meat thoroughly”.

“Tissue cysts are rendered non‐viable by cooking meat to an internal temperature of 66°C,” the researchers wrote. “Alternatively, meat may be frozen overnight at −12°C to destroy the cysts.

“Specific messaging that is sensitive to consumer cooking preferences may be helpful to educate the Australian population of the risk related to consuming undercooked lamb, which applies particularly to pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised persons.”