Steak tartare: raw beef and what it can carry

Every randomized trial on this page fed people cooked beef, so none of them speaks to eating it raw. In the largest, 52 women with low iron stores took an iron supplement with 4 oz (113 g) of beef or with a plant-based patty for 8 weeks, and ferritin rose by 10.7 mcg/L over time in both groups, with no difference between them. What is specific to tartare is the raw part, and the evidence there is observational. Case-control studies link raw or undercooked beef to 2.22 times the odds of acute toxoplasmosis (95% CI 1.57 to 3.12), an odds ratio drawn from few studies. Across 21 case-control studies, beef was the food most strongly tied to sporadic Shiga toxin-producing E. coli illness in the Americas and Europe. Raw or cooked status did not change that link, which tells you where the bacteria come from, not whether cooking helps.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• About 1 in 10 bovine deep lymph nodes carry Salmonella, by a pooled estimate from 33 studies. — 33 studies of bovine deep tissue lymph nodes (n = 33 studies) Evidence C source
  Pooled prevalence 10.8% (95% CI 7.5-14.5)

What a real portion looks like

• In the US dietary survey, a typical steak tartare portion is coded at 169 g, and a cup at 225 g. — US food survey portion weights Evidence E source
  Quantity not specified 169 g; 1 cup 225 g

What your body absorbs

• In an 8-week RCT of 52 iron-deficient women, taking iron with 113 g beef raised ferritin no more than taking it with a plant-based patty, so the meat factor added little. — 52 non-pregnant women with low iron stores, 8 weeks (n = 52) Evidence B source
  Ferritin +10.7 ug/L over time in both arms; no treatment-by-time difference

What cooking and storage change

• Across cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies, people who eat raw or undercooked meat had 1.7 to 3.0 times the odds of Toxoplasma infection compared with people who cook meat thoroughly. — Pooled cohort, case-control and cross-sectional studies, any meat species Evidence C source
  RR 1.2-1.3; OR 1.7-3.0 vs thoroughly cooked meat
• In laboratory tests, high-pressure treatment at 600 MPa did not make steak tartare reliably STEC-free, while holding it at 131 °F (55 °C) for 6 hours did. — Steak tartare samples artificially contaminated with non-O157 STEC Evidence D source
  STEC recovered after enrichment at 400 and 600 MPa; not detected after 131 °F (55 °C) for 6 h
• CDC lists raw or undercooked meat as a riskier choice in pregnancy and advises cooking ground beef to 160°F, which steak tartare by definition is not. — Pregnant people Evidence E source
  Ground meats to 160°F; pregnant women 10 times more likely to get Listeria

Safety, limits and interactions

• USDA FSIS advises cooking raw beef cuts to at least 145 °F (63 °C) and ground beef to 160 °F (71 °C). Steak tartare is served raw, so it is never brought to these temperatures. — consumers eating beef, USA Evidence E source
  145 °F beef cuts; 160 °F ground beef
• Across 21 case-control studies, beef was the food most strongly tied to sporadic Shiga toxin-producing E. coli illness in the Americas and Europe. — 22 case-control studies of sporadic STEC infection, 10 countries, 1985-2012 (n = 21 studies) Evidence C source
  Beef the most significant food item (Americas, Europe)
• Listeria monocytogenes was found in 55% of vacuum-packed steak tartare samples bought from Czech retailers. — Retail vacuum-packed steak tartare, Czech Republic Evidence C source
  L. monocytogenes prevalence 55%

Who this works differently for

• For anyone serving steak tartare, CDC names people 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women as the groups at higher risk of food poisoning, and children under 5 are three times more likely to be hospitalized if they get a Salmonella infection. — people 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women Evidence E source
  Children under 5 three times more likely to be hospitalized with Salmonella infection
• Observational data link eating raw or undercooked beef to more than double the odds of acute toxoplasmosis. — Case-control studies of acute Toxoplasma gondii infection Evidence C source
  OR 2.22 (1.57-3.12) for raw/undercooked beef
• In a crossover RCT of 23 people with a history of calcium stones, two daily servings of beef left the urine stone-risk index no worse than the same protein from plants. — 23 normocalciuric adults with prior calcium kidney stones, 2-day metabolic study (n = 23) Evidence B source
  No difference in Tiselius risk index between beef and plant protein
• In a crossover RCT of 17 breastfeeding women, 339 g beef a day gave milk with more arachidonic acid than an ultra-processed plant substitute. — 17 lactating women, two 6-day diet phases (n = 17) Evidence B source
  Arachidonic acid 0.41 vs 0.35% (P < 0.001); lauric acid 4.47 vs 9.32%

The bottom line

Here is what raw beef can carry. A meta-analysis of 33 studies, mostly from US feedlots, found Salmonella in 10.8% (95% CI 7.5 to 14.5) of bovine deep lymph nodes. Listeria monocytogenes turned up in 55% of vacuum-packed steak tartare bought from Czech retailers, in a survey whose abstract does not give the sample count. Pooled studies of raw or undercooked meat of any species give 1.7 to 3.0 times the odds of Toxoplasma infection compared with thoroughly cooked meat. In a laboratory test on tartare deliberately contaminated with non-O157 strains, high pressure at 600 MPa left surviving E. coli in every sample, while 6 hours in a 131 °F (55 °C) water bath left none detectable. That was a laboratory treatment on non-O157 strains only, not a home cooking method, and it is well below the 160°F that CDC gives for ground meat. Some people should be careful. CDC lists raw or undercooked meat among riskier foods in pregnancy, says ground meat should reach 160°F, and notes that pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection. Steak tartare is by definition not cooked to that temperature. We hold no card yet on young children, older adults or people with weakened immunity. The bacteria listed above are the same in their plate, and the missing card is not a sign that raw beef is safe for them. Serving tartare to any of them is a question for their doctor. On nutrition, the trials used cooked beef. In 23 adults with past calcium kidney stones, moderate beef and the same protein from plants lowered urine stone risk equally in a short metabolic study. In 17 breastfeeding women eating 12 oz (339 g) of beef a day for 6 days, milk had more arachidonic acid (0.41% against 0.35%) and less lauric acid (4.47% against 9.32%) than on an ultra-processed plant substitute. The US dietary survey codes an unspecified tartare portion at 169 g and a cup at 225 g, which are standard weights and not observed servings.

Sources

1. stkt-daily-r8-04 · meta-analysis of prevalence studies
   The pooled Salmonella prevalence in DTLNs was 10.8% (95% CI [7.5, 14.5]), with significant heterogeneity between studies.
   Int J Food Microbiol, 2026 · checked 2026-10-01
2. stkt-daily-r8-07 · dataset
   Steak tartare | FNDDS 27116400 | Quantity not specified: 169 g | 1 cup: 225 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, Steak tartare (FNDDS 27116400, FDC 2706394) · checked 2026-10-01
3. stkt-daily-r8-09 · randomized controlled trial
   Findings suggest that the "meat factor" does not contribute substantially to improvements in iron status in women of reproductive age with iron deficiency when consumed with an iron supplement for 8 wk.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
4. stkt-daily-r8-02 · meta-analysis of observational studies
   Our results suggest that individuals who eat raw or undercooked meat have, respectively, 1.2-1.3 times the risk and 1.7-3.0 times the odds of T. gondii infection compared to those who thoroughly cook meat, regardless of the animal species they consume.
   Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis, 2021 · checked 2026-10-01
5. stkt-daily-r8-06 · laboratory study
   Nevertheless, sub-lethally damaged cells were resuscitated after enrichment, and STEC was observed in all samples regardless of the pressure used. STEC was not detected in the samples cooked in a 55 °C water bath for 6 h, even after enrichment.
   Microorganisms, 2023, high-pressure processing of steak tartare · checked 2026-10-01
6. stkt-daily-r8-08 · agency guidance
   Pregnant women are 10 times more likely to get a Listeria infection...Raw or undercooked poultry or meat...Ground meats, such as beef and pork, cooked to 160°F
   CDC, Safer Food Choices for Pregnant Women, updated 31 Jan 2025 · checked 2026-10-01
7. sf-fsis-21 · agency advice
   Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb, and veal steaks, chops, and roasts to a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F...For safety and quality, allow meat to rest for at least three minutes before carving or consuming. ...Ground beef may turn brown before it has reached a temperature at which bacteria are destroyed. ...A hamburger cooked to 160 °F (165 °F for ground poultry), measured with a food thermometer throughout the patty...is safe — regardless of color.
   USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety · checked 2026-10-08
8. stkt-daily-r8-03 · meta-analysis of observational studies
   Beef was the most significant food item associated with STEC illness in the Americas and Europe, but in the Western Pacific region, chicken was most significant.
   Epidemiol Infect, 2019 · checked 2026-10-01
9. stkt-daily-r8-05 · prevalence survey
   The prevalence of L. monocytogenes was 55% and 17 isolates belonging mostly to serotype 1/2a were obtained.
   Foods (Basel), 2022, vacuum-packed steak tartare survey, Czech Republic · checked 2026-10-01
10. sf-hrg-3 · agency advice
    Higher risk groups include people who are 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women. ... Children younger than 5 are three times more likely to be hospitalized if they get a Salmonella infection.
    U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, People at Increased Risk for Food Poisoning (2025) · checked 2026-10-08
11. stkt-daily-r8-01 · meta-analysis of observational studies
    consumption of raw/undercooked beef, OR 2.22 (1.57-3.12), and consumption of raw/undercooked sheep meat, OR 3.85 (1.85-8.00).
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-10-01
12. stkt-daily-r8-10 · randomized crossover trial
    Balanced diets containing moderate amounts of either beef or plant protein are equally effective in reducing calcium oxalate kidney stone risk based on changes in urinary composition.
    J Am Diet Assoc, 2001 · checked 2026-10-01
13. stkt-daily-r8-11 · randomized crossover trial
    Human milk collected during the substitute diet contained higher levels of tropical oil-derived medium-chain saturated fatty acids, such as lauric acid (12:0: 9.32 ± 1.8 compared with 4.47 ± 1.82, P < 0.001) and lower levels of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), including arachidonic acid (20:4n-6: 0.35 ± 0.06 compared with 0.41 ± 0.06, P < 0.001) compared with milk form the beef diet.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-10-01