Inside the Pies: Assessing Consumer Familiarity with Meat Pies and Conducting a Market Basket Survey for Pathogen Presence

Dough-wrapped meat products, such as meat pies, are available in both ready-to-eat (RTE) and not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) forms. This can create consumer confusion regarding safe preparation methods, and it can potentially increase the likelihood of foodborne illness. We surveyed 658 consumers to evaluate overall familiarity with meat pies, awareness of the RTE vs. NRTE status of such products, and use of a food thermometer to determine doneness. More than half of respondents (56%) reported never using a thermometer, and 16% were unsure whether their purchases were RTE or NRTE. To complement these findings, a market basket survey was conducted to assess microbial load and presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes on 270 samples of meat pies purchased from retail establishments in NC and PA, as well as from online vendors in MI and TX. Six of 270 (3.3%) samples tested positive for L. monocytogenes, whereas none tested positive for Salmonella spp. Total aerobic plate count levels in 242 of 270 samples ranged from ≤0.95 to ca. 9.5 log CFU/g. These results underscore the need for proper cooking and thermometer use, clear labeling of RTE vs. NRTE status, and targeted consumer education.