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Food Protection Trends
Abstracts - June 2004
Comparison of Total Cost, Method Efficiency,
and Laboratory Productivity of Selected Microbiological Test Kits
Consumer Attitudes Towards Irradiated Food: 2003 vs.
1993
Improving the Safety of Queso Fresco through Intervention
Comparison of the Bimetallic Coil Thermometer and Thermocouple
for Validating Food Cooling
Comparison of Total Cost,
Method Efficiency, and Laboratory Productivity of Selected Microbiological
Test Kits
Deborah A. McIntyre
SUMMARY
Several microbiology rapid test kit methods are available for use in the isolation
and detection of Salmonella, Listeria, and
Escherichia coli O157:H7 from foods.
Government and commercial laboratories that screen for these analytes must decide
whether to use the standard reference method, as outlined for the detection
of these organisms, or one of the commercially available test kits. The objective
of this study was to analyze the comparative value of five commercially available
test kits (BioControl Assurance®EIA, bioMérieux VIDAS®, Neogen REVEAL®, DuPont
Qualicon BAX®automated detection system, and TECRA®Visual ImmunoAssay), as well
as the standard reference methods for each of the test organisms (Salmonella, Listeria, and
Escherichia coli O157:H7). Twenty-six
collaborating laboratories submitted information on the amount of hands-on labor,
total elapsed time, and cost of the materials and disposables utilized in the
test methods for each of the seven processing steps (sample receipt and recording;
sample preparation; sample enrichment; sample screening; result analysis; result
confirmation; and result reporting). Results of the comparative study indicated
that hands-on labor and total elapsed time are factors that most differentiate
the methods, directly relating to the overall method efficiency and utilization
of labor within the laboratory. Material and disposable costs were not
found to be a significant factor in differentiating the various methods. However,
many of the test kit methods require initial purchase of instrumentation in
order to run the assay and this should be taken into consideration when reviewing
a particular method. Thus, total cost, method efficiency, and labor productivity
are all factors that should be thoroughly reviewed when selecting the appropriate
test method for a laboratory.
Consumer Attitudes Towards Irradiated
Food: 2003 vs. 1993
Adrianne M. Johnson,1A. Estes Reynolds,2 Jinru
Chen,1 and A.V.A. Resurreccion1*
1-Department of Food Science and Technology, University of
Georgia, 1109 Experiment Street, Griffin, GA 30223-1797, USA
2-Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia, Athens,
GA 30602-7610, USA
SUMMARY
A survey was conducted to determine current consumer attitudes toward irradiation
after consuming irradiated ready-to-eat poultry meat products and evaluate differences
in consumer acceptance, if any, over the past ten years. Surveys were completed
by 50 consumers in the metro-Atlanta area. Although consumers were exposed
to irradiated foods prior to the 2003 survey, consumer awareness was no higher
in this study than in 1993, when consumers were not exposed to irradiated foods
prior to the survey. The majority (66%) of the respondents were aware
of irradiation; among these, 71% “have heard about irradiation, but do not know
much about it.” Consumers in both studies expressed more concern for pesticide
and animal residues, growth hormones, food additives, bacteria and naturally
occurring toxins than irradiation. Consumers expressed slight concern regarding
irradiation; however, this has decreased significantly over the past ten years.
Approximately 76% prefer to buy irradiated pork and 68% prefer to buy irradiated
poultry to decrease the probability of illness from Trichinella
and Salmonella, respectively. More consumers are willing to buy irradiated
products in 2003 than in 1993 (69% and 29%, respectively).
Improving the Safety of Queso
Fresco through Intervention
STEPHANIE CLARK,1* VIRGINIA HILLERS,1
and JOANNE AUSTIN2
Washington State University (WSU), Department of Food Science
and Human Nutrition,
1-Dairy Rd., Pullman, WA 99164-6376, USA
2-WSU/Skagit County Extension, 306 S. First St., Mount Vernon, WA 98273-3805,
USA
SUMMARY
Raw milk Queso Fresco has been implicated in several foodborne illness outbreaks
in the United States. Two styles of intervention, involving consumer and
commercial Queso Fresco recipe development and distribution, are described. Such programs
have contributed to educating both consumers and artisan cheesemakers about
the risks associated with raw milk products and have been effective in helping
to reduce the risk of foodborne illness in the state of Washington.
Comparison of the Bimetallic Coil
Thermometer and Thermocouple for Validating Food Cooling
O. Peter Snyder, Jr.,1* andJohn A. Labalestra2
1-Hospitality Institute of Technology and Management, 670 Transfer Road, Suite
21A, St. Paul, MN 55114, USA
2-1712 Tatum Street, Falcon Heights, MN 55113, USA
SUMMARY
An important food safety control procedure in retail food operations is safe
cooling of food. Safe cooling, also called “food stabilization,” has been defined
by the USDA 9 CFR 318.17 as being < 1 log increase of Clostridium
perfringens and no growth of Clostridium
botulinum during cooling. The FDA Food Code requires that food be cooled
from 140 to 70°F in 2 hours and 70 to 41°F in 4 more hours. The “official” thermometer
that cooks use to monitor correct compliance with the Food Code is the bimetallic
coil thermometer. Because there are no procedures in the Food Code, and
no regulatory official has demonstrated a procedure for pans and pots of food,
the purpose of this study is to determine if a bimetallic coil thermometer could
be used with a pan of food 2 inches deep or a 1-gallon bucket of food to verify
safe cooling.
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