# AI tells a user that lamb burgers are safe to eat when cooked to 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest time, ignoring the risk of E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter from ground lamb

- **ID:** `food-safety/ai-advises-eating-undercooked-lamb-burgers`
- **Domain:** food-safety
- **Category:** health_risk
- **Verification:** ai_generated
- **Fix Rate:** 90%

## Root Cause

Ground lamb, like other ground meats, can harbor pathogens throughout the product; the USDA recommends cooking ground lamb to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) with no rest time, not 145°F, because grinding distributes surface bacteria into the interior.

## Workarounds

1. **Cook ground lamb burgers to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) as measured by a food thermometer inserted into the thickest part. No rest time is required for ground meats.** (90% success)
   ```
   Cook ground lamb burgers to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) as measured by a food thermometer inserted into the thickest part. No rest time is required for ground meats.
   ```
2. **If using sous-vide, cook ground lamb patties at 160°F for at least 1 hour to ensure pasteurization, then sear quickly for browning.** (85% success)
   ```
   If using sous-vide, cook ground lamb patties at 160°F for at least 1 hour to ensure pasteurization, then sear quickly for browning.
   ```

## Dead Ends

- **** — User thinks lamb is 'cleaner' than beef and applies whole-cut lamb guidelines (145°F) to ground lamb, ignoring pathogen redistribution. (60% fail)
- **** — User assumes a 3-minute rest time compensates for undercooking, but rest time is only validated for whole cuts, not ground meat. (50% fail)
- **** — User relies on color change (brown means done) instead of temperature, but color is not a reliable indicator of pathogen kill in ground lamb. (70% fail)