|
Food Protection Trends
Abstracts - July 2006
Foods Associated with Foodborne
Illness Outbreaks from
1990 through 2003
Correlation of Visual Perceptions
of Cleanliness and
Reported Cleaning Practices
with Measures of Microbial
Contamination in Home
Refrigerators
Effect of Steam Pasteurization/
Vacuum Packaging on Physical
Properties, Sensory Attributes,
Chemical Composition, and
Listeria monocytogenes Lethality
of Double-packed Frankfurters
Foods Associated with Foodborne
Illness Outbreaks from
1990 through 2003
Caroline Smith Dewaal, Giselle Hicks, Kristina Barlow, Lucy Alderton, and Leora Vegosen
Center for Science in the Public Interest, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW #300, Washington, D.C. 20009, USA
SUMMARY
Critical to the understanding of foodborne illness outbreaks is
the identification of both the contaminated food item and the
responsible pathogen, allowing traceback to the original source of
contamination and subsequent intervention. The Center for Science
in the Public Interest (CSPI) maintains a database of foodborne illness
outbreaks categorized by food vehicle, compiled from sources including
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state health
departments, and scientific journals. Between 1990 and 2003, the
foods most commonly linked to outbreaks with identified vehicles
were seafood (n = 899), produce (n = 554), poultry (n = 476), beef
(n = 438), and eggs (n = 329). Multi-ingredient foods, including pizza
and sandwiches, were linked to 812 outbreaks. Overall, 27% (1229/
4486) of the outbreaks were attributed to meats, including beef,
poultry, pork, and luncheon meats, while 66% (2954/4486) of outbreaks
were linked to other food items. Seven percent (303/4486) were linked
to multiple food vehicles. Our findings demonstrate the value of
routinely linking outbreaks to specific foods and illustrate the
importance of using a consistent, common-sense food categorization
scheme for all food safety stakeholders. Food attribution and
categorization allow consumers to more readily assess food safety
hazards and provide better information on which to base policy
decisions.
Correlation of Visual Perceptions
of Cleanliness and
Reported Cleaning Practices
with Measures of Microbial
Contamination in Home
Refrigerators
Sandria L. Godwin-1,2, Fur-Chi Chen-2, and Richard J. Coppings-2
1-Department of Family & Consumer Sciences; Tennessee State University, 3500 John Merritt Blvd.,
Nashville, TN 37209, USA
2-Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Research, Tennessee State University,
3500 John Merritt Blvd., Nashville, TN 37209, USA
SUMMARY
Consumers are the final line of defense against foodborne illness. Consumer food handling and storage
practices may impact the degree of microbial contamination in the home refrigerator and thus the risk of
foodborne illness for family members. While 147 consumers completed a home refrigeration practices
survey, the condition of their refrigerators was evaluated by a trained observer. Cleanliness, fullness, and
organization of five areas of each refrigerator were recorded on a four-point scale; potentially unsafe
circumstances were also noted. Several 100 cm2 areas of each refrigerator were swabbed with sterile buffer.
A microbial ATP (mATP) bioluminescense assay was performed on the refrigerator swabs to assess microbial
contamination. Seventy-two percent of swabs had detectable mATP, indicating that the majority of home
refrigerators contain viable microbial populations. The highest mATP levels were found in the vegetable bins
and the meat areas. Levels of mATP were undetectable in some vegetable bins (14%), while over 15% had
relatively high levels of microbial contamination. Microbial ATP in the vegetable bin was correlated with the
cleanliness score for that compartment. Cleanliness scores for several refrigerator compartments were
correlated with mATP found on the bottom shelf. Microbial ATP in refrigerator compartments failed to show
a clear relationship to reported refrigerator-cleaning frequency so that in our opinion, self-reported refrigerator
cleaning practices are not a reliable means of predicting microbial contamination. Consumers should regularly
engage in adequate cleaning of their refrigerators regardless of visible soiling.
Effect of Steam Pasteurization/
Vacuum Packaging on Physical
Properties, Sensory Attributes,
Chemical Composition, and
Listeria monocytogenes Lethality
of Double-packed Frankfurters
R. Y. Murphey-1* and J. F. Meullenet-2
1-1728 Rolling Hills Dr., Fayetteville, AR 72703, USA
2-Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
SUMMARY
In a comparison of steam pasteurization/vacuum packaging with
vacuum packaging only, the pH, color, instrumental texture (shear and
compression), and chemical composition of frankfurters were not
affected by steam pasteurization/vacuum packaging technology. In
packaged frankfurters stored at 4°C for 24 h, there were no differences
for the amount of water purge in frankfurter packages. A descriptive
sensory evaluation found no differences in basic taste, aromatics, feeling
factors, aftertaste, texture, and appearance of frankfurters between
steam pasteurization/vacuum packaging and vacuum packaging only.
Inoculation studies resulted in more than 3 log10 reductions of
L. monocytogenes on frankfurters when steam pasteurization technology
was applied for 1.5 s in a packaging machine.
|
