Burger King faulted for undercooking

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SEATTLE, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Washington state food inspectors found undercooked hamburgers served in many Burger Kings, the state Health Department said.

Larry French, the state food safety adviser, told Mary Sanford, Burger King's manager of food safety and regulatory compliance, inspectors found a "disturbing trend" at many of the chain's restaurants, SeattlePI.com reported. He said many employees appeared to believe that the final step in cooking, a brief microwaving, would solve any problems of food safety.

In his letter to Sanford, French said the chain must take steps to correct the problem.

"The minimum outcome must be fully cooked foods, trained staff to assure this, and equipment that is reliable and easy to operate," he said.

A spokeswoman told SeattlePI the chain is working with franchise owners on the problem.

"Preliminary findings from the health department indicate some of the restaurants inspected produced variable cooking temperatures that did not meet BKC's stringent food safety procedures," she said in a statement.