Americans, according to this editorial in the N.Y. Times, eat more than 50 pounds of beef per person each year. That’s a lot of beef. It’s also a lot of risk, because about half — or more than two billion pounds — is ground beef, which can too easily harbor dangerous bacteria.

A report, issued by Consumer Reports with the Pew Charitable Trusts, said that between 2003 and 2012, 1,144 people grew sick from beef contaminated with E. coli O157; 316 people were hospitalized and five people died.

The editorial says the Agriculture Department, which now allows beef to have salmonella in up to 7.5 percent of samples, should instead label it an “adulterant,” which would restrict it further. The industry needs to further curb its use of antibiotics for cattle, which contributes to development of drug-resistant bacteria. And cattle feed regulated by the F.D.A. should not include residue from chicken coops and other contaminants.