BACKGROUND
Moisture enhancement of poultry and mechanical tenderization of meat (pork and beef) products are now common practices in North America. However, several foodborne outbreaks and recalls, related to these non-intact poultry and meat products, have been reported by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) since 2000. In light of these outbreaks, the United States Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) has released mandatory labeling requirements of safe cooking instructions, time, and temperature, effective by 2020 for beef products, and by 2025 for pork and poultry products. This would require small and mid-sized processors, packers, and retailers that produce customized packages for poultry or meat, to label their products with validated cooking instructions. However, cooking-validation studies for different kinds of poultry and meat products are expensive, costing ~$20,000 for each type of product per single dimension, creating an expense that can easily run into the millions of dollars. This represents a clear need in the meat industry for an effective and cost-efficient tool to predict safe cooking times for meat and poultry.
SUMMARY OF TECHNOLOGY
Researchers at OSU have developed an algorithm to determine proper cooking time and degree of doneness for moisture enhanced/tenderized poultry and meat products. Using the statistical approach of predictive modeling, the algorithm is a powerful and concise way to simulate real-time scenarios without undergoing the repeatability of costly experimentation. This technology can provide testing of “what if” scenarios, drastically reducing the food production costs. When paired with a user interface, the resultant software can estimate minimum safe temperatures for various poultry and meat products. Also, the software employing the algorithm can generate instant labels for any given poultry or meat product simply via specification of product type, weight, and thickness. Additionally, this algorithm could be developed into a mobile application for user convenience. This algorithm will improve food safety and increase consumer confidence in non-intact poultry and meat products while reducing the cost to produce said safety information.
POTENTIAL AREAS OF APPLICATION
- Validation studies for processors and retailers for USDA-FSIS labeling regulation compliance
MAIN ADVANTAGES
- Drastically reduces material, labor, and time costs of validation studies
- First software to generate safe cooking time labels
- Quick and inexpensive way to determine safe cooking times
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT