Environmental Public Health Journal 2015 | BCIT Institutional Repository

Environmental Public Health Journal 2015

Assessment of sous vide knowledge and inspection/cooking practices
Background: In September 2014, BCCDC developed “Guidelines for Restaurant Sous Vide Cooking Safety in British Columbia” providing Environmental Health Officers (EHO) and sous vide cooking chefs safety knowledge about sous vide cooking. To assess whether the guidelines improved sous vide safety knowledge, a study was conducted to examine and compare knowledge differences between EHOs and chefs who had read the guidelines to those who had not read the guidelines. Methods: An online survey was created and advertised by publishing on the BCCDC website, in newsletters and magazines (Vancouver Costal Health newsletter, Fraser Health news Letter, Chefs Quarterly magazine), and through e-mail distribution lists to EHOs and chefs, including chefs at Vancouver Community College. The questions in this survey were developed based on the guide-lines. T-tests and Chi square analyses were conducted to assess knowledge difference between those who read the guidelines and those who did not. Results: A total of 65 people completed the survey, including 45 EHOs (69.3%), 15 chefs (23%), and 5 others (7.7%). EHOs who read the guidelines had significantly higher average knowledge scores in the multiple choice section of the sous vide safety knowledge survey (p=0.00028, t-test) when compared to EHOs who had never read the guidelines. No differences were found in the true and false section (p=0.43925, t-test). With regard to inspection practices, EHO who read the guide-lines were more likely to frequently check for the internal temperature of sous vide foods, water bath temperature, time/temperature in the recipes, calibration of thermometer and proper labels on sous vide pouched foods than EHOs who never read the guidelines. Chefs who read the guidelines had similar average score as chefs who never read the guidelines in T/F (p=0.79878, t-test) and multiple choice (p=0.97, t-test). With regard to cooking practice, chefs who read the guidelines were more likely to frequently calibrate thermometers than chefs who never read the guidelines. However, chefs who never read the guidelines were more likely to frequently find their sous vide pouch floating dur-ing the cooking process, to check for internal temperature of sous vide food, and to label their sous vide pouch properly. Conclusion: These results show that EHOs who have read the sous vide guidelines have better sous vide knowledge in comparison to EHOs who have never read the guidelines. They are also more likely to have overall better inspection practices. Nevertheless, results show chefs who read the guidelines have similar sous vide knowledge in comparison to chefs who never read the guidelines. In terms of cooking practices, these chefs are likely to have better cooking practices only in certain areas., Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2015., Peer-reviewed article, Published., Peer reviewed, Survey, Sous vide, Guideline, Inspection/cooking practices
Sous vide salmon pasteurization temperature
Objectives: Cooking foods to a specific temperature and temperature control are often very difficult due to the frequent fluctuation of heat during the traditional dry heat (oven) cooking process. “Sous vide” cooking of vacuum-packaged foods immersed in water provides constant and controllable time and temperature measurements throughout the process. Some sous vide style foods are cooked at temperatures that are lower than 60oC for short periods of time. This presents a recognizable food safety concern including the survival of harmful bacteria as well as conditions that do not achieve pathogen reduction during either the sous vide cooking or finishing (searing) process. This research project investigated the time and temperature relationship for sous vide salmon in order to examine if pasteurization temperature was achieved if an additional searing step was performed. Methods: Temperature values were measured using data-loggers (SmartButton) for 30 samples of vacuum-packed salmon and cooked sous vide inside a circulating water bath at 50oC for 20 minutes. A one sample one tailed t-test was conducted to assess whether the internal temperature of salmon reached instantaneous pasteurization temperature of 70oC after a final searing step was performed at 220oC for 45 seconds. Results: Five out of the 30 (16.7%) salmon samples achieved 70oC after the final searing step. Statistical analyses were statistically significant, and the null hypothesis (Ho: measured internal temperature of salmon ≥ target temperature) was rejected with 100% power and a p-value of 0.00. Conclusion: These results indicate that salmon cooked sous vide style under 50oC for 20 minutes with a final searing step of 220oC for 45 seconds will likely not achieve pasteurization providing adequate pathogen reduction according to guidelines set out by BCCDC. For sous vide style cooked salmon cooked at lower temperatures for short periods, freezing for control of parasite hazards is recommended., Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2015., Peer-reviewed article, Published., Peer reviewed, Sous vide, Salmon, Temperature, SmartButton, Public health