Environmental Public Health Journal 2018 | BCIT Institutional Repository

Environmental Public Health Journal 2018

Evaluation of internal temperature of oysters following standard thermal process recipes
Background & Purpose: The seasonal demand for shellfish such as oysters is on the rise. Shellfish are nutritious foods that may be enjoyed in a variety of ways, from slurping raw oysters to cooking oysters by means of boiling, steaming, pan frying and baking. Most consumers of oysters are aware of potential food safety issues with shellfish. Raw or undercooked shellfish can carry bacteria, viruses and toxins, potentially resulting in foodborne illness. Past outbreaks associated with the consumption of raw and undercooked oysters, prompted the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) to develop guidelines for those preparing, cooking and consuming shellfish. The recommended cooking temperature and time from the guideline was compared with the temperature and time of standard cooking methods from the Fanny Bay Oyster Market restaurant. The purpose of this project was to determine whether standard cooking methods from restaurants attain the guideline’s recommended 90oC for 90 seconds. Method: Four common cooking methods of Oysters were chosen based on recommendation from Chef Chris Andraza and BCCDC researcher Lorraine McIntyre. Oysters were pan fried, deep fried, baked and grilled. Internal temperatures of cooked oysters were then measured with a probe thermometer. Results for each method were analyzed and compared with the standard of 90oC using the one sample t-test from the statistical software package, NCSS11. Results: One sample t-tests showed statistically differences from the deep fried, baked and grilled methods when compared to the standard of 90oC (p = 0.000). The power for all three methods was 100%, therefore there is confidence that the findings reflect the truth. Experimental temperatures were consistently less than the standard. The pan fried method showed no statistically significant difference when compared to the standard of 90oC (p = 135). The power for pan fried method was 29.2%, therefore there is limited confidence that the findings reflect the truth. Therefore the deep fried, baked and grilled methods required additional cooking time to raise internal temperatures of the oysters. Whereas the pan fried method had achieved the standard but further experimentation is required to eliminate the chance of a type II error. Conclusion: It can be concluded that three out of the four cooking methods (deep fried, baked and grilled) can have significantly different mean temperatures. However, different thermal preparation methods prior to final thermal processing requires consideration to determine cooked oyster consumption safety. One out of the four cooking methods (pan fried) attained the standard temperature 90oC. Therefore, it is recommended for deep fried, baked and grilled cooking methods that the cooking time be extended to achieve an internal temperature of 90oC or higher., Peer reviewed, 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, 2018., Cooked Oyster, Temperature, Recipes, Restaurant
An evaluation of the knowledge and practices of Metro Vancouver residents regarding mould
Background: The average Canadian spends approximately 90% of their day indoors, a proportion of which may be in public spaces, thereby making Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) a pertinent topic for the fields of Public and Environmental Health. Mould complaints are one of the top IAQ complaints received by Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) in BC. Mould is ubiquitous in both the outdoor and indoor environment. However, once indoors, mould will grow unhindered on most surfaces as long as moisture is present. Accumulating evidence has established relationships between indoor environments and health. Thanks to the Internet, the amount of readily available information regarding mould today is vast but may not necessarily be valid nor reliable. It is important, therefore, to consider what the public does or does not know and where they are getting their information. This study evaluated the public perception of Metro Vancouver residents in regards to mould as an IAQ issue in order to provide Public and Environmental Health practitioners, including EHOs, with a deeper understanding of how to effectively address queries from the public regarding this topic. Methods: Data for this study was collected through a self-administered online questionnaire and disseminated using social media and the snowball effect. Questions were designed to collect demographic information and evaluate the knowledge and attitudes as well as the behaviour and practices of participants. Descriptive and inferential statistics, specifically the independent samples t-test and the analysis of variance (ANOVA), were used to analyze the results. Results: With an average 14.59 out of 20 points, respondent knowledge scores were, in general, fair. There was no statistically significant difference between respondent knowledge score and their gender, age, level of education, income or housing status. Conclusions: Although respondent knowledge scores were fair, a few gaps in knowledge were identified. Further, most of the sample population did not know specifically where to access reliable information on mould. These insights may be useful for Public and Environmental Health professionals when addressing queries from the public regarding this topic., Peer reviewed, 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, 2018., Mould, Mold, Indoor air quality, Indoor environment, Environmental health, Public health, Knowledge, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia