MAST Warns Against Dining Like Former Prime Minister

Just in case the lunch recently posted by former Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson got your mouth watering, the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) has some words of caution for you.

Sigmundur both amused and soured a number of Icelanders with a Facebook post he made last week: a photo of raw ground meat and some crackers with the caption “One of the many advantages of Icelandic meat is you don’t need to cook it longer than you want to.”

In light of the considerable amount of traffic and discussion the post has generated, MAST felt compelled to issue a statement on the matter, Vísir reports.

MAST points out that meat which is intended to be eaten raw is handled in a much different manner than meat which is meant to be cooked. Eating the latter raw can bring with it a host of illnesses and parasites, they caution, especially if the meat in question happens to be chicken or pork.

As such, one should exercise the utmost care when it comes to meat consumption: that is, be sure it is cooked unless otherwise intended to be eaten undercooked or raw.