Author
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LIU, MARTHA |
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Berry, Bradford |
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Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/1996 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Governmental agencies are recommending that ground beef patties be cooked to 71 deg C, or until no pink color remains in the center and juices run clear. This study was designed to document the variability in cooking properties when considerable control is exerted on the cooking process. Before now, it has generally been thought that variability exists, but it has not been documented. When two lots of beef patties were produced in th same facility, to the same fat content and with similar raw ingredients, one lot took considerably longer to cook and appeared more red when cooked to 71 deg C. Low-fat (10 percent) patties had longer cooking times than higher-fat (20 percent) patties, thus when changing from high-fat to low- fat patties the foodservice industry needs to re-evaluate cooking times. Cooking to a higher temperature, from 68 to 71 deg C, did not always significantly decrease the amount of redness. Cooking for a specific time frequently produced considerable variability in the final internal temperatures of the patties. Some patties (9.0 percent) did not reach an internal temperature of 68 deg C and 1.3 percent did not reach an internal temperature of 60 deg C. This clearly illustrates a food safety concern in cooked patties. This study demonstrated that more research needs to be done to understand the mechanisms to achieve more uniform cooking properties in beef patties. Technical Abstract: Four studies were performed to document the variability in cooking properties of beef patties when considerable control was exerted on cooking procedures. Two replications of beef patties produced from the same facility, to the same fat content and with similar raw materials were pan- fried to an internal temperature of 68, 71 or 74 deg C. The second replication required significantly (P < 0.05) longer cooking times to reac designated internal temperatures, appeared less well-done and had higher a* values than the first replication. Beef patties containing either 10 or 20 percent fat were used to compare two endpoints of cooking (constant internal temperature, constant cooking time) for two temperatures, 68 and 71 deg C. Considerable variability was found in degree of doneness for both cooking methods and internal temperatures when constant cooking times were used. Eighteen different treatments of beef patties made with various ingredients were used for evaluating the variability of internal temperatures when cooked for constant times that would reach 71 deg C or slightly higher. Wide variability in internal temperatures was found for all eighteen treatments. Some patties (9.0 percent) did not reach an internal temperature of 68 deg C and 1.3 percent did not reach an internal temperature of 60 deg C. In evaluating post-cooking changes in internal temperature of beef patties cooked by convection oven or pan-frying, there appears to be a 40 s period to accurately assess endpoint temperature. The high variability in cooking properties shown in this study clearly demonstrates that the control mechanisms for the cooking properties must be determined. |
