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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 14, 1993                   TAG: 9302140161
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C7   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

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VA. URGES RISE IN BEEF-COOKING TEMPERATURE

Virginia health authorities have increased the recommended cooking temperature for ground beef after a bacterial outbreak in four states left two children dead and hundreds of people ill.

Restaurants now should cook ground beef products at 155 degrees instead of 140 degrees to make sure all bacteria are destroyed, said Bob Hicks, director of environmental health services in the state Department of Health.

Restaurants do not have to comply with the department's recommendations, but the restaurants' permits could be revoked if customers become ill, Hicks said Friday.

The department's Division of Food and Environmental Services changed the recommendation based on guidelines issued Jan. 28 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Hicks said.

About 400 people in Washington state and several residents of California, Idaho and Nevada became ill after an outbreak detected Jan. 17. - Associated Press

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Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.

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