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Destruction Bacteria in Beef Patties by Cooking^{1 ,2,}

Agricultural Research Service U.S. Department of Agriculture^,4, Beltsville, MD 20705

Abstract

The destruction of bacteria in beef patties during cooking was evaluated to define the number of microbes that might be ingested when patties were cooked to different degrees of doneness. Commercially fabricated, 85-g beef patties from three wholesale distributors were stored frozen at –45 C or refrigerated for 1, 5 and 12 days at 4 C to simulate normal and abused products. Patties were cooked at either 149, 177, 204 or 232 C for a total of 2 to 8 minutes. Viable coliform bacteria were reduced to minimum countable levels (less than 14/g) by cooking at 177 C for 1.5 min on each side. Psychrotrophic bacteria were no longer countable after the patties had been cooked for 4 min per side at any of the temperatures, whereas destruction of aerobic bacteria required heat treatment beyond 4 minutes. The incidence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was reduced by more than 50% by cooking the beef patties. Reduction of bacterial viability by heating was more readily accomplished in the 12-day patties than in the frozen or 1-day patties.

¹ Mention of product names does not imply endorsement by the United States Government.

² Mr. E. James Koch, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture provided advice and assistance in analyzing the data.

³ Department of Animal Science, University of Maryland, College Park, 20742.

⁴ Meat Science Research Laboratory.