Effectiveness of Preparation Practices on the Inactivation of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis in Frozen Breaded Chicken Strips

Abstract

Over the past 15 years, multiple foodborne outbreaks have occurred in Canada due to the presence of Salmonella enterica in frozen breaded chicken products. These chicken products were raw and required cooking in conventional household ovens to inactivate any pathogens that they may have been harboring. During the course of food safety investigations associated with these outbreaks, many consumers reported using alternative household appliances such as air fryers to cook these products. The effectiveness of these appliances for the inactivation of pathogens in food is not known. Here, we compare the ability of a toaster oven, air fryer, deep fryer, and conventional oven to inactivate a cocktail of Salmonella Enteritidis in frozen breaded chicken strips. Deep frying was the most effective cooking method, demonstrating a median 7-log reduction; the conventional oven was next with a median 6-log reduction. Both the air fryer and toaster oven performed poorly, with respective median 4- and 3-log reductions. Overall, the results of this study suggest the revision of cooking instructions is required for the safe household use of toaster ovens and air fryers. HIGHLIGHTS

Thermal inactivation of Salmonella on chicken wings cooked in domestic convection and air fryer ovens

“…Despite the higher cooking temperature, the time required for chicken strips to reach an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) was similar (8.5 ± 1.5 min) to that in the current study (Rao et al., 2020). The chicken strips (40 g) were similar in size to the chicken wings in this experiment (46.5 ± 4.3 g); however, they were cooked from frozen (approximately −20°C), which may explain the similarity in cooking time despite the higher appliance temperature (Rao et al., 2020). Murphy, Johnson, Marks, et al.…”

“…Chicken wings in the convection oven achieved that internal temperature much sooner, but this did not decrease the required cooking time. It is possible that the internal temperature as measured did not reflect the temperature of the entire chicken wing, since the temperature may not be uniformly distributed due to shape and composition differences (Juneja et al., 2001; Rao et al., 2020). Rao et al.…”

“…Rao et al. (2020) were able to detect Salmonella on inoculated chicken strips cooked for 10 min at 204°C (399.2°F). The chicken strips reached an internal temperature of 98°C (208.4°F), and Salmonella was detected on all nine of the strips, with average reductions of 4.3 log MPN/g.…”

“…Whole chicken wings (107 g) have an estimated 13.7 g of fat or about 12% (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety & Inspection Service, 2018). The fat content is not distributed homogeneously throughout the product, and the areas with higher fat content could increase the heat resistance of Salmonella (Rao et al., 2020).…”

“…Reported recommended temperatures for air frying chicken wings range between 176 • C and 204 • C (350 to 400 • F). Given the novelty of air fryers as domestic kitchen appliances, few studies have explored pathogen inactivation using this technology in a domestic setting (Rao et al, 2020). Therefore, the goal of this study was to determine the thermal lethality of Salmonella on chicken wings cooked in a conventional convection oven or an air fryer.…”