Effects of Domestic Storage and Thawing Practices on in Poultry-Based Meat Preparations

Abstract

Among consumer food handling practices, time-temperature abuse has been reported as one of the most common contributory factors in salmonellosis outbreaks where the evidence is strong. The present study performed storage tests of burgers, sausages, and kebabs and investigated (i) the effect of refrigerator temperatures (4°C versus 8 or 12°C, which were the temperatures recorded in 33 and 3%, respectively, of domestic refrigerators in Italy), with or without prior temperature abuse (25°C for 2 h, simulating transport of meats from shop to home), and (ii) the impact of the thawing method (overnight in the refrigerator at 8°C versus on the kitchen countertop at 23°C) on the presence and numbers of Salmonella bacteria. Storage tests were carried out on naturally or artificially (Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium at ca. 10 CFU/g) contaminated products, while freezing-thawing tests were conducted only on artificially contaminated products (Salmonella Typhimurium at ca. 10, 100, and 1,000 CFU/g). The results from the artificially contaminated products showed significant (P < 0.05) growth of Salmonella Typhimurium at 12°C (i.e., from ca. 8 most probable number [MPN]/g to > 710 MPN/g) in kebabs after 7 and 10 days but more moderate growth in sausages (i.e., from ca. 14 MPN/g to a maximum of 96 MPN/g after 9 days of storage). Storage of naturally contaminated burgers or sausages (contamination at or below 1 MPN/g) at 4, 8, or 12°C and a short time of temperature abuse (2 h at 25°C) did not facilitate an increase in the presence and numbers of Salmonella bacteria. Thawing overnight in the refrigerator led to either a moderate reduction or no change of Salmonella Typhimurium numbers in burgers, sausages, and kebabs. Overall, this study showed that domestic storage and thawing practices can affect food safety and that time-temperature abuse can cause a substantial increase of Salmonella numbers in some types of poultry-based meat preparations, highlighting that efforts for the dissemination of consumer guidelines on the correct storage and handling of meats need to be continued.

Evaluation of microbial contamination and effects of storage in raw meat‐based dog foods purchased online

“…Furthermore, higher temperatures predictably developed a more suitable environment for bacterial proliferation in the samples examined. Storage temperature is the paramount concern relative to proper meat conservation, and food safety authorities worldwide recommend that refrigerated foods be stored between 4 and 5°C in order to prevent or inhibit the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms (Roccato et al, ). In fact, the literature clearly demonstrated that storing meat at 4°C or below immediately after slaughtering and during transportation is critical for its hygiene, safety and shelf life (Dave & Ghaly, ).…”

“…Furthermore, higher temperatures predictably developed a more suitable environment for bacterial proliferation in the samples examined. Storage temperature is the paramount concern relative to proper meat conservation, and food safety authorities worldwide recommend that refrigerated foods be stored between 4 and 5°C in order to prevent or inhibit the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms (Roccato et al, 2015).…”

“…Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes , Y. enterocolitica ) is limited at normal refrigerated storage conditions (0–4°C), but they may pose a potential public health threat if meat is subjected to temperature abuse, particularly during storage and transportation (Lambert et al, ; Palumbo, ). Time‐temperature abuse due to improper consumer food handling practices has been reported as one of the most common contributory factors in outbreaks of food‐borne bacterial infections (Roccato et al, ). Given the high initial microbial load of the products analysed in this study, particular care must be taken by owners handling and storing commercial RMBDs purchased from the Internet in order to prevent further and faster contaminations.…”

Do Polish Consumers Take Proper Care of Hygiene while Shopping and Preparing Meals at Home in the Context of Wasting Food?

“…Other authors also point to inappropriate knowledge and practices of consumers in this respect [6,38,44,[51][52][53]. According to Roccato et al [54], thawing, for example, of raw poultry meat overnight at room temperature caused significant increases in the number of Salmonella Typhimurium cases compared to thawing overnight in a refrigerator. Inappropriate knowledge and behavior with regard to frozen products are demonstrated not only by consumers but also by food production and trade professionals [55][56][57].…”

Praktik Higiene Sanitasi dalam Pengelolaan Pangan di Sepuluh Industri Jasa Boga di Kota Bogor

“…Tabel 4 juga menunjukkan bahwa hampir semua industri jasa boga belum melakukan pelunakan (thawing) bahan pangan beku (daging) dengan metode yang aman untuk menghindari suhu danger zone sehingga tidak menyebabkan pertumbuhan bakteri patogen, seperti Salmonella Typhimurium, seperti yang dilaporkan oleh Roccato et al (2015). Walaupun thawing pada suhu ruang merupakan metode yang cepat, proses dapat menyebabkan pertumbuhan mikrob patogen apabila suhunya meningkat dan mencapai suhu danger zone (Akhtar et al 2013).…”