Journal of Food Science and Technology, cilt.60, sa.6, ss.1731-1737, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
The aim of the study was to investigate the safe cooking parameters to eliminate E.coli O157:H7 in commonly consumed meatball types, by simulating the meatball formula and the cooking practices of restaurants. Ground meat was inoculated around 7 ± 1 log cfu/g with a cocktail of 5 strains of E.coli O157:H7. The meatballs were prepared with different ingredients and seasonings depending on the type (kasap or İnegöl). The cooking experiments were conducted on a grill, at two different temperatures, 170 and 180 °C. Results show that, in order to achieve ≥ 5 log destruction of E.coli O157:H7 in Kasap and İnegöl meatballs cooked at 170 °C, the internal temperature should reach to 85 °C. On the other hand, when the meatballs were grilled at 180 °C, 5 log reductions were achieved by cooking the meatballs to an internal temperature of 80 °C for Kasap meatballs and 85 °C for İnegöl meatballs. Differences in the meatball formulation and shape affected the thermal destruction of E.coli O157:H7. Measuring of the grill temperature and core temperature of meatballs during cooking and reaching the target temperatures for each type of meatball would help prevent Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) infections in public eating establishments.