The Latest Food Safety Questions and Answers
added 01/24/12
by Mary Saucier Choate, M.S., R.D., L.D.
Dietitian and Food and Nutrition Educator
Q: I have read about a food borne illness outbreak involving whipped butter. Should I avoid this product?
A: What you read about may have been an incident in 1970 caused by a restaurant-prepared whipped butter made with contaminated cream and one in 1977 by a single manufacturing plant. The food safety.gov site confirms that butter is safe at room temperature and the extension service at Kansas State University confirms that: Commercial whipped butter can be stored at room temperature because it contains nitrogen to make it shelf stable. State Extension Specialist for Food Safety, University of Missouri-Columbia states that: Butter is made from pasteurized milk, so unless there is gross contamination after pasteurizing (which almost never happens) the butter gets to your house in very safe condition. Butter has very little water in it (about 20%, which is not much in the world of food) and it has a fair amount of salt in it (about 5-10% in the water portion) so there is little danger of pathogen growth. Butter can support the growth of molds but it usually takes several weeks and ideal conditions to occur.
Resources:
Framework Developed to Determine Whether Foods Need Time/Temperature Control for Safety http://www.fda.gov/Food/ScienceResearch/ResearchAreas/SafePracticesforFoodProcesses/ucm094159.htm
“Salted whipped butter… is a non-TCS food” (Doesn’t need time/temperature control for safety)
Food Safety Q&A University of Missouri-Columbia Extension http://missourifamilies.org/quick/foodsafetyqa/qafs649.htm “Butter is made from pasteurized milk, so unless there is gross contamination after pasteurizing (which almost never happens) the butter gets to your house in very safe condition. Butter has very little water in it (about 20%, which is not much in the world of food) and it has a fair amount of salt in it (about 5-10% in the water portion) so there is little danger of pathogen growth.”
Kansas State Rapid Response Center http://www.rrc.ksu.edu/p.aspx?tabid=42 “Commercial whipped butter can be stored at room temperature because it contains nitrogen to make it shelf stable.”
Land O’Lakes Consumer Line: 1-800-328-9680
Q: I’ve heard that the browned “crusts” or outer layer of foods such as pastry contain carcinogens – something about the cooking temperature turning certain ingredients in the product brown while the food cooks, but the browning action also produces carcinogens. Is this true? Should we cut off any brown outer crusts or layers of food to avoid this, or is it all just a rumor?
A. Acrylamide is a chemical that can form in some foods during high-temperature cooking, such as frying, roasting, and baking. Acrylamide forms from natural sugars and the amino acid asparagine in foods; it does not come from food packaging or the environment.
It was first detected in foods in April 2002, although it is likely that people have always been exposed to it in their diet. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet determined the exact public health impact, if any, of acrylamide from the much lower levels found in foods. FDA is conducting research studies to determine whether acrylamide in food is a potential risk to human health.
Acrylamide has been found primarily in food made from plants, such as potatoes, grain products, and coffee. It is not typically associated with meat, dairy, or seafood products. Acrylamide is typically found in plant-based foods cooked with high heat (e.g., frying, roasting, and baking), not raw plant-based foods or foods cooked by steaming or boiling.
Some foods are larger sources of acrylamide in the diet, including certain potato products (especially French fries and potato chips), coffee, and foods made of grains (such as breakfast cereal, cookies, and toast). These foods are all part of a regular diet. However, if you want to lower acrylamide intake, reducing consumption of these foods is one way to do so, keeping in mind that it’s best to limit intake of foods that are high in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars. FDA does not recommend reducing intake of healthful grain products (e.g., whole grain cereals) that are a good source of whole grains and fiber.
Bottom line: there is a lot we still don’t know about this, but cutting out French fries and potato chips would be a good idea no matter what the reason.
Q: A bakery employee at a local market told me that it is safe to refreeze Danish pastry with cheese in it, once the Danish has thawed. They get their cheese Danish strip pastries by the case, and frozen. The pastry is thawed, and then put out for sale at room temperature. I have some outdated government literature about food safety after a power failure, where it mentions not to ever refreeze anything baked or with cheese, and now I don’t know who to believe. It would be nice to cut up the large Danish and freeze it in individual servings, but if it is not safe to do so, I need to know.
A: To determine if refreezing thawed cheese Danish that has been at room temperature is safe, one would have to see the packaging. If it is processed to be shelf stable, it might be fine to refreeze after being sold at room temperature. According to Customer Service at Entenmanns’s Bakery, the use of preservatives allows their product to be shelf stable. These preservatives include Sodium Propionate, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid, and sulfiting agents. They also add acidulants to raise the acidity of the product and inhibit mold and bacterial growth.
Perhaps the bakery you visited is using a shelf-stable product that would be safe to refreeze? It would be necessary to examine the packaging information statements to determine this.
Resources:
Bimbo Bakeries (Entenmann’s) Consumer Hotline at 1-800-984-0989.
Analysis of Microbial Hazards Related to Time/Temperature Control of Foods for Safety http://www.fda.gov/Food/ScienceResearch/ResearchAreas/SafePracticesforFoodProcesses/ucm094147.htm
Q: My friend says that even cooking with seafood can cause a reaction in a person with seafood allergies. Is this true?
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, although it has been shown that just smelling peanut butter will not cause a reaction, sometimes food allergens can be airborne, especially in steam, and can cause reactions. Boiling or simmering seafood is a particular offender.
Resources:
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/library/at-a-glance/food-allergy.aspx
