Purpose: The purpose of this study was to monitor potential temperature abuses during outdoor cooking events with the use of two temperature monitoring tools.
Methods: Overwrapped or vacuum packaged meats were purchased from a local market and used in this study. Freshcode™ strips were attached to the front and the back of each package. Three storage conditions were used: meats placed in an ice chest with ice, a closed ice chest without ice under the sun, and on a counter top at room temperature. The strips were read every hour for eight hours and the data was compared to corresponding traditional thermometer readings. Total aerobic plate counts and coliform counts were determined at the beginning and the end of each trial. Both the overwrapped and vacuum packaged meats underwent the same conditions and data collection procedures.
Results: The monitoring efficiency of the Freshcode™ strips varied among the different packages. There was no significant difference between the readings generated by the strips and the traditional thermometer for overwrapped packaging systems (P > 0.05). The strips applied to the vacuum packaged meats registered the temperature change an hour slower than the overwrapped packages (P≥ 0.05). The total aerobic plate and coliform counts increased by approximately one Log CFU/g of meat under each storage condition.
Significance: Easy-to-use temperature monitoring methods are needed by consumers to better evaluate potential temperature abuses during outdoor cooking events. Commonly used ice chests do not completely prevent temperature abuse. Different packaging systems may need different monitoring methods.