Food Protection Trends
Abstracts - June 2007
Factors That Contribute
to the Microbial Safety
of Commercial Yogurt
Needs Assessment Survey of Sanitation, Good Manufacturing and Hygienic Training Practices for Food Processors, Wholesalers
and Warehouse Operators
Home Food Safety Practices of Government Employees
in Osceola County, Florida
Factors That Contribute
to the Microbial Safety
of Commercial Yogurt
Kathleen A. Glass-1 and J. Russell Bishop-2
1-University of Wisconsin-Madison, Food Research Institute, 1925 Willow Drive,
Madison, WI 53706, USA
2- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research,
1605 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
SUMMARY
Yogurt with active cultures, at pH of 4.6 or below, and processed in compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices prescribed by the United States Pasteurized Milk Ordinance, is inherently safe and does not support the growth of pathogenic organisms. More specifically, the safety of commercial yogurt is primarily dependent on the use of pasteurized milk to eliminate vegetative bacterial pathogens and spoilage microorganisms, good manufacturing practices and sanitary operating procedures to reduce the potential for recontamination, and a robust fermentation to produce sufficient acid and other antimicrobial metabolites to prevent growth of pathogens, should recontamination occur. High numbers of live and active starter culture organisms assure safety by generating acid and other antimicrobial metabolites during a short fermentation, preventing growth or causing death of pathogens. Chilling of the acid food to
< 7°C within four hours after coagulating the milk (pH ~ 4.6) serves to reduce additional acid production and thus to prevent adverse flavor defects, control spoilage, and enhance quality. Data described in this review support the safety of current US industry practices for the production of commercial yogurt when pH values of the finished product is < 4.6 within 24 hours of filling.
Full Text Article
Needs Assessment Survey of Sanitation, Good Manufacturing and Hygienic Training Practices for Food Processors, Wholesalers
and Warehouse Operators
Lori F. Pivarnik-1, Doris Hicks-2, Michael Jahncke-3, and Ken Gall-4
1-University of Rhode Island, Nutrition and Food Sciences Dept. 530 Liberty Lane, West Kingston, RI 02892, USA
2-University of Delaware, Sea Grant College Program, 700 Pilottown Road, Lewes, DE 19958, USA
3-Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Virginia Tech, 102 S. King Street, Hampton, VA 23669, USA
4-Cornell Cooperative Extension,146 Suffolk Hall, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY
11794-5002, USA
ABSTRACT
The objective of this research project was to assess the need for sanitation training for food industry personnel. A survey was designed and distributed to food processors, wholesalers and distributors to determine current training practices and to ascertain their opinions on whether an Internet-based, interactive training course on sanitation, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) could be utilized. Of 182 survey respondents, 75% categorized themselves as food processors of a variety of processed commodities: poultry (47%), meat (40%), dairy (34%), seafood (31%), fruits and/or vegetables (21%) and cereals, breads and/or baked goods (13%). Although respondents (95%) indicated that there was some food safety, sanitation and/or hygiene employee training in their facilities, 54% responded that they could use an Internet-based course, and 43% indicated that they would like to judge it prior to implementation. It was encouraging that 82% of those surveyed indicated that the Internet-based training could be integrated into the workday. The top four barriers to employee training were identified as time, cost, language and literacy. However, 61% still indicated that they would be willing to pay for an Internet course that would first target management level employees and would then provide supplementary educational materials that would be used for on-site training of production employees.
Full Text Article
Home Food Safety Practices of Government Employees
in Osceola County, Florida
Christy M. Walter-1, Ronald H. Schmidt-2, Keith R. Schneider-2, and John Cornell-3
1-Family & Consumer Sciences/4-H Extension Agent II, Osceola County Extension, University of Florida/IFAS,
Kissimmee, FL 34744-6107, USA
2-Food Science and Human Nutrition Dept., University of Florida, Gainesville,
FL 32611-0370, USA
3-Formerly with Dept. of Statistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0370, USA
SUMMARY
The objectives of this study were to determine the in-home food-handling practices (e.g., personal hygiene, food preparation, food storage, sanitation) and behavior of consumers, and to determine their educational needs. Data were obtained by a mailed survey of a random sample of 600 Osceola County employees. This survey sample provided diversity with regard to age, gender, race, educational level, and income. In addition, some of the participants had previously participated in Osceola County Cooperative Extension Food Safety and Wellness Programs. The instrument included questions about food-handling behaviors and allowed the respondents to mark how often they performed each task. Analysis of survey data from the total of 376 respondents indicated that many participants may be using potentially risky food-handling techniques. Major food safety risk factors identified included cooling food at room temperature, improper use of dishtowels, lack of thermometer use in cooking and refrigerated storage, and many other actions that could lead to cross contamination in the kitchen. Information gained from the survey will facilitate the development of appropriate consumer education brochures and programs
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