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

Association Between the Frequency of Eating Non-home-prepared Meals and Women Infertility in the United States

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to determine whether eating non-home-prepared meals (NHPM), including fast food, ready-to-eat foods, and frozen foods, was associated with self-reported infertility in the United States women.

Methods

Data on diet and infertility from women aged 20-49 years who participated in the 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed (n=2143). Dietary information, including the number and types of NHPM consumed, was obtained from a self-reported questionnaire, and infertility status was analyzed using the following question, “Have you ever attempted to become pregnant over a period of at least a year without becoming pregnant?”

Results

The frequency of NHPM consumption was positively associated with self-reported infertility after adjusting for confounding effects (odds ratio [OR], 2.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48 to 5.38 of >1 vs. 0 NHPM/d). The odds of infertility were 2-3 times higher in women who consumed fast food than in those who did not consume fast food (OR, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.15 to 6.48 of >1 vs. 0 times/d).

Conclusions

The frequency and types of NHPM may be a factor contributing to infertility. Although our findings require confirmation, they suggest that eating out may be deleterious to women fecundity.

An Assessment of Listeriosis Risk Associated with a Contaminated Production Lot of Frozen Vegetables Consumed under Alternative Consumer Handling Scenarios

Frozen foods do not support the growth of Listeria monocytogenes (LM) and should be handled appropriately for safety. However, consumer trends regarding preparation of some frozen foods may contribute to the risk of foodborne listeriosis, specifically when cooking instructions are not followed and frozen products are instead added directly to smoothies or salads. A quantitative microbial risk assessment model FFLLoRA (Frozen Food Listeria Lot Risk Assessment) was developed to assess the lot-level listeriosis risk due to LM contamination in frozen vegetables consumed as a ready-to-eat food. The model was designed to estimate listeriosis risk per serving and the number of illnesses per production lot of frozen vegetables contaminated with LM, considering individual facility factors such as lot size, prevalence of LM contamination, and consumer handling prior to consumption. A production lot of 1 million packages with 10 servings each was assumed. When at least half of the servings were cooked prior to consumption, the median risk of invasive listeriosis per serving in both the general and susceptible population was <1.0 × 10^-16 with the median (5th, 95th percentiles) predicted number of illnesses per lot as 0 (0, 0) and 0 (0, 1) under the exponential and Weibull-gamma dose-response functions, respectively. In scenarios in which all servings are consumed as ready-to-eat, the median predicted risk per serving was 1.8 × 10^-13 and 7.8 × 10^-12 in the general and susceptible populations, respectively. The median (5th, 95th percentile) number of illnesses was 0 (0, 0) and 0 (0, 6) for the exponential and Weibull-Gamma models, respectively. Classification tree analysis highlighted initial concentration of LM in the lot, temperature at which the product is thawed, and whether a serving is cooked as main predictors for illness from a lot. Overall, the FFLLoRA provides frozen food manufacturers with a tool to assess LM contamination and consumer behavior when managing rare and/or minimal contamination events in frozen foods.

Determination of several common disinfection by-products in frozen foods

Disinfected water and/or disinfectants are commonly used by the freezing industry in such processes as sanitising, washing, blanching, cooling and transporting the final product. For this reason, disinfection by-products (DBPs) can be expected in frozen foods. This study focused on the presence of DBPs in a wide variety of frozen vegetables, meats and fish. For this purpose, the 14 halogenated DBPs more prevalent in disinfected water were selected (four trihalomethanes, seven haloacetic acids, two haloacetonitriles and trichloronitromethane). Up to seven DBPs were found in vegetables, whereas only four DBPs were present in meats and fish, and at lower concentrations, since their contact with disinfected water is lower than in frozen vegetables. It is important to emphasise that trichloronitromethane (the most abundant nitrogenous DBP in disinfected water) was found for the first time in foods. Finally, it was concluded that the freezing process can keep the compounds stable longer than other preservation processes (viz. sanitising, canning) and, therefore, frozen foods present higher DBP concentrations than other food categories (minimally processed vegetables, or canned vegetables and meats).

The impact of food preservation on food waste

PURPOSE

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the relationship between food preservation and reducing consumer waste is of value in developing sustainable meal options. The research reports insights into Austrian marketplace for frozen and fresh foods that have been obtained from a consumer survey.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

The consumer survey methodologies indicate how preservation can change meal planning and lower food waste across frozen and fresh and ambient food purchases using freezing preservation methods.

FINDINGS

The results show food waste can be reduced by six-fold when frozen foods are compared with fresh foods.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

This study highlights the requirement for a greater understanding of the probability that specific foods will be wasted with respect to the frequency of purchase. This is a limitation of the current study that has been investigated by other researchers.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

This research has enabled the identification of different food waste amounts for different food product categories. The data presented could be used to guide food product development so that less consumer waste is produced.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The research suggests a decision matrix approach can be used to can guide new product development and a model of this matrix is presented so that it may provide fit-for-purpose food preservation options for consumers.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This paper will continue to highlight the overlooked value of food preservation during processing and manufacturing of foods and their preparation in households.