Consumer Practices and Risk Factors that Predispose to Premature Browning in Cooked Ground Beef

Premature browning is a condition in which cooked ground beef patties turn brown before the USDA recommended temperature of 71°C. This presents a potential food safety concern, as consumers may be eating undercooked meat. Although various intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to premature brown...

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Main Authors: Deborah L. VanOverbeke, Gretchen Mafi, J. L. Lusk, R. Reuter, Ranjith Ramanathan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Iowa State University Digital Press 2019-12-01
Series:Meat and Muscle Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/mmb/article/pubid/2019-10-0043/
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author Deborah L. VanOverbeke
Gretchen Mafi
J. L. Lusk
R. Reuter
Ranjith Ramanathan
author_facet Deborah L. VanOverbeke
Gretchen Mafi
J. L. Lusk
R. Reuter
Ranjith Ramanathan
author_sort Deborah L. VanOverbeke
collection DOAJ
description Premature browning is a condition in which cooked ground beef patties turn brown before the USDA recommended temperature of 71°C. This presents a potential food safety concern, as consumers may be eating undercooked meat. Although various intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to premature browning, the current knowledge indicates that the myoglobin form present within the interior of patties has a significant influence on cooked color. The objective of the study was to determine the consumer practices of cooking, methods to determine doneness, and type of packaging of their purchased ground beef. The data utilized in this study came from Food Demand Survey (FooDS), which tracks consumer preferences, food expenditures, price expectations, and awareness and concern for a variety of food issues. The sample size of FooDS on-line survey for this study was 1,030. The survey questions consisted of doneness of patties, cooking time, and packaging type of patties. Pictures of different packaging types such as a tray, vacuum package, film wrapped, butcher wrapped paper, frozen patties, and chub were also included. Approximately 67% of respondents indicated that they determine the doneness of ground beef patties by visual observation, 18% identify the doneness by a certain length of time for cooking, and 13.5% use a meat thermometer. Interestingly, 69% of respondents noted that they like a brown interior color of cooked patties. If the patties were prone to premature browning, the chances of consuming undercooked patties are higher. Only 5.7% of people bought patties packaged in a vacuum, while 60% of respondents bought patties packaged in film wrapped or in a tray. Even after 20 yr of attempt by the USDA to educate consumers about safe cooking, the current practices increase the likelihood of premature browning and food safety concerns.
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spelling doaj.art-a866d0dc3e1a4cb1991b4a617a8d36a52024-04-04T17:25:10ZengIowa State University Digital PressMeat and Muscle Biology2575-985X2019-12-013110.22175/mmb2019.10.0043Consumer Practices and Risk Factors that Predispose to Premature Browning in Cooked Ground BeefDeborah L. VanOverbeke0Gretchen Mafi1J. L. Lusk2R. Reuter3Ranjith Ramanathan4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7849-4432Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State UniversityOklahoma State University3Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA2Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USADepartment of Animal and Food Sciences, Oklahoma State UniversityPremature browning is a condition in which cooked ground beef patties turn brown before the USDA recommended temperature of 71°C. This presents a potential food safety concern, as consumers may be eating undercooked meat. Although various intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to premature browning, the current knowledge indicates that the myoglobin form present within the interior of patties has a significant influence on cooked color. The objective of the study was to determine the consumer practices of cooking, methods to determine doneness, and type of packaging of their purchased ground beef. The data utilized in this study came from Food Demand Survey (FooDS), which tracks consumer preferences, food expenditures, price expectations, and awareness and concern for a variety of food issues. The sample size of FooDS on-line survey for this study was 1,030. The survey questions consisted of doneness of patties, cooking time, and packaging type of patties. Pictures of different packaging types such as a tray, vacuum package, film wrapped, butcher wrapped paper, frozen patties, and chub were also included. Approximately 67% of respondents indicated that they determine the doneness of ground beef patties by visual observation, 18% identify the doneness by a certain length of time for cooking, and 13.5% use a meat thermometer. Interestingly, 69% of respondents noted that they like a brown interior color of cooked patties. If the patties were prone to premature browning, the chances of consuming undercooked patties are higher. Only 5.7% of people bought patties packaged in a vacuum, while 60% of respondents bought patties packaged in film wrapped or in a tray. Even after 20 yr of attempt by the USDA to educate consumers about safe cooking, the current practices increase the likelihood of premature browning and food safety concerns.https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/mmb/article/pubid/2019-10-0043/packagingfood safetycooking temperatureEscherichia coli O157:H7premature browning
spellingShingle Deborah L. VanOverbeke
Gretchen Mafi
J. L. Lusk
R. Reuter
Ranjith Ramanathan
Consumer Practices and Risk Factors that Predispose to Premature Browning in Cooked Ground Beef
Meat and Muscle Biology
packaging
food safety
cooking temperature
Escherichia coli O157:H7
premature browning
title Consumer Practices and Risk Factors that Predispose to Premature Browning in Cooked Ground Beef
title_full Consumer Practices and Risk Factors that Predispose to Premature Browning in Cooked Ground Beef
title_fullStr Consumer Practices and Risk Factors that Predispose to Premature Browning in Cooked Ground Beef
title_full_unstemmed Consumer Practices and Risk Factors that Predispose to Premature Browning in Cooked Ground Beef
title_short Consumer Practices and Risk Factors that Predispose to Premature Browning in Cooked Ground Beef
title_sort consumer practices and risk factors that predispose to premature browning in cooked ground beef
topic packaging
food safety
cooking temperature
Escherichia coli O157:H7
premature browning
url https://www.iastatedigitalpress.com/mmb/article/pubid/2019-10-0043/
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