Go to main content

How Safe is Your Steak? CBC's Marketplace Takes a Sharp Look at a Common Practice That Could Make Yo

High Steaks airs on CBC News’ MARKETPLACE
Friday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC-TV

In the wake of the biggest beef recall in Canadian history, new questions are emerging about how our meat is handled. Is the steak you buy as safe as you think? In this week’s episode of MARKETPLACE, Tom Harrington puts beef to the test, and reveals what you’re not being told.

High Steaks airs Friday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC-TV; Oct. 27 at 9:30 p.m. ET and Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m. ET on CBC News Network.

MARKETPLACE takes a sharp look at a little-known industry practice which could affect what you eat. Meat tenderizing makes many steaks and roasts tender, but critics say it can also make beef more susceptible to bacterial contamination. Experts say it should be cooked to 71°C to kill all the bacteria, equivalent to medium-well. But regulators don’t require tenderized meat to be labelled, so you can’t tell if you’re buying tenderized meat. Would you want to know?

Winner of the 2011 Gemini Award for Best News Information Series, MARKETPLACE airs Fridays at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC Television. MARKETPLACE also airs Saturdays at 9:30 p.m. ET and Sundays at 5:30 p.m. ET on CBC News Network. For more information on MARKETPLACE, visit our website at cbc.ca/marketplace, join us on Facebook and follow us on twitter: twitter.com/cbcerica and twitter.com/cbctom. Executive producer is Tassie Notar.

cbc.ca/marketplace
facebook.com/marketplace
@cbctom
@cbcerica
@cbcmarketplace

About CBC News
For more than 75 years, CBC has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analyses and the personalities that matter to Canadians.

For further information, or to request interviews, contact:
Melissa Prince, Veritas Communications
o) 416-482-2669
c) 647-205-4744
prince@veritascanada.com
or
Corey Black, News and Current Affairs Publicist, CBC
o) 416-205-8710
c) 647-221-4133
corey.black@cbc.ca

Related content

Marketplace
CBC News Erica Johnson tom harrington

Discover

June 23rd at 13:20

New to CBC Gem in July 2026

Titles joining CBC Gem in July include the exclusive Canadian premieres of season 2 of UK comedy series Amandaland and new tween series The Next Step: Cheer, plus sci-fi drama The Expanse, award-winning documentary Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions, and feature film The Menu starring Ralph Fiennes.
June 10th at 14:00

CBC marks National Indigenous Peoples Day & National Indigenous History Month

As part of CBC’s ongoing commitment to reflect Indigenous communities from coast to coast to coast, the public broadcaster is recognizing National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day with programming that showcases First Nations, Inuit, and Métis perspectives and experiences. 
May 26th at 5:50

CBC Unveils New Slate Showcasing Canadian Storytelling and Stars including Samantha Bee, Sarah Podemski and P.K. Subban

From hockey and hospitals to the Wild West and the world of international diplomacy and espionage, CBC’s new original Canadian greenlights include drama series Junior inspired by P.K. Subban's junior hockey experience and comedy The Ambassador starring Samantha Bee.
May 22nd at 12:00

New to CBC Gem in June

In June, new titles join the Indigenous Stories Collection, including documentary Channel Original Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising, from Shane Belcourt and Tanya Talaga, and roundtable series Rematriate the Lens; and the Watch With Pride Collection, including CBC Arts' interview series Here & Queer. 
May 13th at 6:55

The Tragically Hip to release live album and CBC to air The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration Concert in full

Relive the night Canada stood still for the live broadcast of The Tragically Hip’s 2016 Man Machine Poem Kingston show, re-broadcasting and streaming commercial-free on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 7 p.m. local time on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio and CBC Music’s YouTube page.