Beef Grinding Logs Study
Objective: To describe recordkeeping practices of beef grinding activities in retail establishments.
Study Results: We surveyed 125 establishments and where available, reviewed grinding records. We found that less than half of establishments kept grinding records. Only 22% of records had all data needed for effective traceback (e.g., grind date and time, lot number of the source beef).
Chicken Handling Practices Study
Objective: To describe restaurant chicken preparation and cooking practices and kitchen managers’ food safety knowledge concerning chicken.
Study Results: We interviewed managers of 448 restaurants; inadequate chicken preparation and cooking practices were commonly reported. Forty percent of managers said that they did not always assign certain cutting boards for raw meat (including chicken) only, 29% said that they did not wash and rinse surfaces before sanitizing them, and over 50% said that thermometers were not used to determine the final cook temperature of chicken. Only 43% of managers knew the temperature raw chicken needed to be cooked to.
Egg-Handling Practices Study
Objective: To identify the prevalence of high-risk egg-handling practices and establishment policies in restaurants that serve breakfast all day.
Study Results: We interviewed kitchen managers and observed egg handling practices in 153 restaurants and found that risky egg handling practices were common. Fifty-four percent of restaurants pooled raw shell eggs not intended for immediate service, a practice not recommended by FDA. Some of these pooled eggs were held for 6 hours (the FDA-recommendation is 4 hours). Nearly 26% of restaurants reported storing eggs at room temperature. However, eggs were generally cooked to a temperature above the FDA-recommended final cook temperature of 63ºC.
Originally published on Wednesday, June 17, 2015
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