By NewsDesk  @bactiman63

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reminded the public to abstain from the state holiday tradition– eating raw meat sandwiches, sometimes called Tiger Meat or Cannibal Sandwiches.

Cannibal sandwich
Image/Wisconsin DHS Facebook page

What is a cannibal sandwich?

A cannibal sandwich or Tiger meat sandwich is by definition, raw ground beef typically served on rye bread or crackers with onions. Occasionally, a raw egg will be mixed with the meat. It is a traditional winter holiday specialty in certain regions of the upper Midwest.

Health officials say there are foodborne illness risks with eating raw meat like ground beef like SalmonellaE. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter and Listeria and it doesn’t matter where you buy the meat.

Since 1986, eight outbreaks have been reported in Wisconsin linked to eating a raw ground beef dish, including a large Salmonella outbreak involving more than 150 people during December 1994. Ground beef should ALWAYS be cooked to an internal temperature of 160° F.

At Least 20 Cases of E. coli in Wisconsin – Source a Mystery

Wisconsin: Health officials investigate multiple adenovirus cases on college campuses

Wisconsin reports 1st EEE death in Chippewa County woman

Blastomycosis in Hmong population: New University of Wisconsin–Madison research