Environmental Public Health Journal 2016 | BCIT Institutional Repository

Environmental Public Health Journal 2016

An evaluation of British Columbia’s guideline for the sale of foods at temporary food markets in allowing the sale of potentially hazardous food
Background and the purpose: British Columbia’s Guideline for the Sale of Foods at Temporary Food Markets is a document that Environmental Health Officers’ (EHOs) and farmers’ market managers will have to consult with when determining what food products are allowed to be sold in farmers’ markets. This guideline plays a vital role because it indirectly influences EHOs’ and farmers’ market managers’ judgments and the public’s risk exposure to potentially hazardous foods (PHFs) in farmers’ markets. It is necessary to evaluate and compare BC’s guideline with other provinces’ to see where it sits in the spectrum with respect to its permissibility in allowing the sale of PHFs in farmers’ markets, perhaps contributing to the further revision or development of the farmers’ markets guideline or policy. Methods: An online Google Docs survey consisting of 20 questions was created to ask farmers’ market managers from British Columbia and other provinces in Canada whether their farmers’ markets allow the sale of the five food types: poultry, shell egg, sauerkraut, unpasteurized juice/cider and cheese and how these foods are handled and stored. Results: There were 56 farmers’ market managers who participated in this survey (46% from BC and 54% from outside BC). Chi-square results had p-values greater than 0.05 for all the five surveyed categories. Two-tail t test results had p-values less than 0.05 in the raw poultry and sauerkraut categories. Discussion: Although no association between the location of farmers’ markets in Canada and the sale of the five surveyed food categories, BC farmers’ market managers disallowed the sale of raw poultry and unpasteurized juice more often than markets outside BC whereas fewer BC farmers’ market managers disallowed the sale of eggs and cheese when compared to markets outside BC. A significant difference in the handling and storage practices of raw poultry and sauerkraut was identified between farmers’ market managers in BC and outside BC. Also, BC’s managers were shown to have safer food handling practices to raw poultry, sauerkraut and unpasteurized juice than managers from outside BC. Conclusion: The types of foods sold in BC and outside BC appeared similar as this survey found no differences between the five surveyed PHF categories allowed for sale. However, handling practices of these foods did vary, and that might be associated with guidelines, or with farmers’ market manager knowledge. Of concern, BC farmers’ market indicated that eggs and juices were sourced and made on farms. These two categories required more attention and food safety awareness from both EHOs and farmers’ market managers. Overall, the survey responses reaffirmed that review and approval for the sale of potentially hazardous food from EHOs and scrutiny from farmers’ markets managers must be in place to ensure public’s safety as well as minimizing public’s risk exposure to improperly handled PHF sold in farmers’ markets., Peer-reviewed article, Published., Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2017., Peer reviewed, Guideline for the Sale of Foods at Temporary Food Markets, Farmers’ market, Potentially hazardous food, British Columbia
Examining the safety of duck breast prepared the sous vide method
Objectives: There is an increasing desire in the culinary industry to use sous vide to prepare meals at low internal temperatures to enhance flavour, texture, and quality. The sous vide method uses specific time and temperature combinations to allow for sufficient microbial destruction. The BCCDC’s Guidelines for Restaurant Sous Vide Cooking Safety in British Columbia suggests time and temperature combinations to help ensure that the required log10 reductions of pathogens are achieved. Concerns for public safety arise when chefs deviate from the guidelines, and therefore may not achieve the appropriate log10 reductions. This study looked at a commonly used sous vide duck breast recipe and determine whether appropriate the appropriate log10 reductions were met. It also examine the efficacy of the sear step and resting period in achieving the log10 reductions. Methods: After calibration, two batches of 15 duck breasts were prepared using the sous vide method for 80 minutes at 58ºC, the breasts were then seared on a 200°C frying pan for 2 minutes each side, and then subjected to a 4 minute rest period at room temperature. The internal temperature of the breasts was continuously measured using SmartButton thermometers. This data was entered into the AMI Process Lethality Determination Spreadsheet to calculate the log10 reductions. The log10 reductions were analyzed using a one-sample t-test to assess whether the recipe achieved the required 7.0 log10 reductions. Results: The results showed 14% of the 29 duck breasts achieved a 7.0 log10 reduction after the sous vide step of 80 minutes at 58 ºC. The null hypothesis (Ho: measured log10 reductions of duck breasts = 7.0 log10 reductions) was rejected with 100% power and a p-value of 0.00. The mean was 5.13, therefore it seems as though the log10 reductions were significantly lower than 7.0 log10 reductions. After the sear and the resting period, 52% of 27 duck breasts achieved a 7.0 log10 reduction. Statistical analyses showed that the null hypothesis could not be rejected. The p-value was 0.97 and the power was 0.413. Disregarding cumulative effects, the median log10 reductions achieved only by the sear step was 0.43, and the median log10 reductions achieved solely by the resting period was 0.35. Conclusion: Due to lack of normality one cannot confidently say this recipe will achieve 7.0 log10 reductions. However, due to the high log10 reductions achieved, it seems plausible for another recipe to provide adequate log10 reductions while maintaining acceptable quality. The sous vide step should be used for the majority of the log10 reductions. Due to a wide variability in the results, the sear and resting period should only be used for small increases in log10 reductions., Peer-reviewed article, Published., Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2017., Peer reviewed, Sous vide, Duck breast, Temperature, SmartButton, Public health, Sear, Foodborne illness