Ground Beef Patty
Cooking Instruction Validation
Ground Beef Production
Food Safety Workshop
American Meat Institute February 2011
Considerations for Validating Cooking
Instructions for Retail Ground Beef Patties
™ When cooking instructions are provided on product labeling,
the destruction of pathogens of concern should be validated
for each labeled cooking method.
™ Properly validated cooking instructions are those which
have been shown to achieve a safe minimum internal
temperature of 165° F. (USDA & CDC 7 log reduction)
™ Prudent manufacturers of retail ground beef patties should
insure that labeled cooking instructions are simple and
easily followed by targeted consumers.
™ Provide Consumers with a way to provide feedback.
What Do We Know About What’s in the
Marketplace
Retail Frozen Ground Beef Patties
“While cooking instructions for frozen ground beef patties were included on
all of the 30 products evaluated, they were generally vague, did not
specify a cooking time range, and for one brand, required consumer
interpretation of “fully cooked.” Only one set of instructions defined
“done” as 160°F. The addition of cooking time ranges to the cooking
instructions for these products would be suggested to provide clearer
guidance to consumers as to when the product was “fully cooked,” and
should specify a target internal temperature of 160°F.”
Warren & Bellinger, 2002
What Are the Cooking Methods Used by
Consumers for Retail Ground Beef Patties?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Charcoal Grill
Gas Grill
Microwave
Convection Oven
Oven
Skillet
What’s on the World Wide Web??
SOURCE: NCBA Culinary Center
Burgers – Grill
Grill, uncovered, over medium ash-covered coals according to chart for medium
(160°F) doneness until centers are no longer pink and juices show no pink color,
turning occasionally.
1/2 inch thick x 4 inches (4 oz.) 11 to 13 minutes
3/4 inch thick x 4 inches (6 oz.) 13 to 15 minutes
Burgers – Broil
Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat according to chart for medium (160°F) doneness until
centers are no longer pink and juices show no pink color, turning once.
1/2 inch thick x 4 inches (4 oz.) 10 to 12 minutes
3/4 inch thick x 4 inches (6 oz.) 12 to 14 minutes
Burgers – Skillet
Heat heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place patties in skillet (do
not crowd). Cook, uncovered, according to chart for medium (160°F) doneness
until centers are no longer pink and juices show no pink color, turning once.
1/2 inch thick x 4 inches (4 oz.) 10 to 12 minutes
3/4 inch thick x 4 inches (6 oz.) 12 to 15 minutes
How Long Does it Take to Cook a
Hamburger in a Microwave?
• Microwave the hamburger on "medium" power for
about 3 to 4 minutes depending upon the size of the
microwave and how you like your "burger". Not great
but quick and eatable!
• Turn the burger patties over and cook for two to three
more minutes, depending on how well-done you want
them!
• Read more:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_long_does_it_take_to_
cook_a_hamburger#ixzz1ANiirEsb
How Long Does it Take to Cook a Hamburger on
a Charcoal or Gas Grill?
Now, the trick is get your grill going red hot. This is so
you can throw the patties on at the correct temp
and the hot grill will sear your patties, therefore
trapping all the juiciness inside your burger. Enjoy!
There may be a little pink inside your burgers
after you take them off (medium rare) but the
risk is worth the reward...believe me!
9 1 1 Patties!
How do Consumers Handle Ground Beef?
I just broke up and browned two preformed ground beef patties
I bought last week from the grocery store. The "sell by"
date was the 15th, today is the 21st. My fridge is cold and
the meat was still dark red. I cooked it thoroughly, it went in
spaghetti sauce . Its been a couple of hours since I ate it
and everything is ok so far...lol. I did drink a 3 oz shot of
vodka immediately afterward, I figured if there were any
stray bacteria stragglers, the alcohol would pollute their
environs enough to protect me. I think people are way too
careful.
What Do the Experts in Our Industry
Recommend?
Heat grill to about 325 degrees.
Place frozen ****** burger® directly on grill rack.
Don't flip the burger 'til you see juices on top.
Once you flip the burger, cook it 'til it's just like you
like it!
Labels on Packages of Frozen Ground Beef Patties
Do Not Always Provide Cooking Instructions That
Result in Safely Cooked Patties!
So How Do We Scientifically Validate
Cooking Instructions??
• Product MUST be validated for all of the various
cooking platforms that could be used.
• Consumers should be instructed to utilize cooking
thermometers to VERIFY temperatures.
• Product MUST be tested based on its’ use dates
rather than its’ manufacture dates.
– This is an important consideration because
the products change during storage.
• Sublimation and Moisture Loss
• Temperature Abuse / Handling
Number of Samples to Test
• The number of samples to be tested should be sufficient to
provide reasonable assurance that the cooking instructions,
if followed, will result in a safe product.
• The number of samples tested must be sufficient to capture
the variability in product heating and determine which
factors are most responsible for this variability.
• It is recommended that multiple (e.g., three separate) lots of
product be tested to account for variability among lots.
• It may be appropriate to utilize a statistician to assure that
the study fully considers all variables that might significantly
affect the adequacy of the final temperature achieved
throughout the product during the cooking process.
Product and Package Factors
• Each product type (including composition, size, shape,
components, distribution, or package configuration) should
be tested.
• The initial temperature of tested product should be the
lowest expected at the time of preparation in a typical
consumer’s home.
– frozen products, unless they bear clear instructions requiring thawing
prior to cooking, should be in their frozen state (0°F - 10°F) when
testing begins.
• Frozen products are more likely to heat unevenly, especially
in microwave ovens, than products that are refrigerated prior
to cooking and, as such, have a greater likelihood of having
cold spots that could allow pathogens to survive.
Product Variables that Affect Cooking
Temperatures
• Fat content
– Higher fat products require a longer cooking time (Troutt, et.al. 1992)
• Pattie Dimensions
– Thickness, length, width
•
•
•
•
Perforations
Product texture and grind size
Standard Fill or Tenderform
Other ingredients
Temperature Determination
• It is recommended that the temperature be monitored at, or
determined for multiple sites on any product.
• Probing with a thermometer to determine post-cooking
temperature should occur immediately after the product is
removed from the cooking surface.
• Note: No matter what method of temperature
measurement is employed during validation testing, it is
important that the temperature measuring device(s),
whether a thermometer, thermocouple, fiber optic
sensor, etc., is properly calibrated prior to use.
Data Collection and Analysis
• Collect sufficient data to determine the range and variability
of cooking temperatures on a specified platform.
– Record all temperature data, including several data points for each
patty probed.
• Data can be analyzed using a variety of statistical methods.
However it is imperative to understand the range and
standard deviation of the cooking temperatures achieved.
X-bar and R-Chart
This spreadsheet is designed for up to 50 samples, each of a constant sample size from 2 to 10. Enter data ONLY in yellow-shaded cells.
Enter the number of samples in cell D6 and the sample size in cell D7. Then enter your data in the grid below.
Click on sheet tabs for a display of the control charts. Specification limits may be entered in cells N7 and N8 for process capability.
Number of samples (<= 50)
Sample size (2 - 10)
Grand Average
Average Range
49
6
175.43 A2
D3
D4
d2
8.80 0.483
0 2.004 2.534
Process Capability Calculations
Upper specification
180
Lower specification
155
Six sigma
Cp
Cpu
Cpl
Cpk
20.83
1.2
0.439
1.961
0.439
In industrial statistics, the X-bar chart is a type of control chart
that is used to monitor the arithmetic means of successive
samples of constant size, n. This type of control chart is used for
characteristics that can be measured on a continuous scale, such
as weight, temperature, thickness etc.
X-bar Chart
Averages
Lower control limit
Upper control limit
Center line
190
Averages
185
180
175
170
165
160
155
1
3
5
7
9
11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49
Sample number
In this chart the sample means are plotted in order to control the
mean value of a variable. This chart controls the process
variability since the sample range is related to the process
standard deviation. The center line of the R chart is the average
range.
R-Chart
Ranges
Lower control limit
Upper control limit
Center line
30
Ranges
25
20
15
10
5
0
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
17
19
21
23
25
27
29
31
Sample number
33
35
37
39
41
43
45
47
49
http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/datacollection-analysis-tools/overview/controlchart.html
Control Charts
180
175
Description
170
This template illustrates a Statistical Process Control (SPC) chart. A
detailed discussion of SPC charts can be found at www.ASQ.org
165
160
Instructions
●
Select the correct subgroup size. When in doubt, select a subgroup size
of one. Partial subgroups are not displayed.
155
150
145
1
●
Enter up to 200 data points in the cells provided. Do not enter values
in the subgroup column. These cells update automatically to show the
subgroup in which the data point is included.
7
13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115
12
10
8
●
Identify any out of control conditions. Four tests are performed. Use
the legend to identify the points corresponding to a particular test.
6
4
●
If a test looks for a proportion of points, only the offending point will be
identified. For example, if eight points in a row are on one side of the
centerline only the eighth point will be identified.
2
0
1
7
13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115
Control Chart Data
167.52
Xbar/IMR Chart Avg
170.5 Xbar one sigma Upper Limit
3.3782
Range Chart Avg
173.5 Xbar two sigma Upper Limit
8.49 Rbar two sigma Upper Limit
176.5 Xbar three sigma Upper Limit
11.05 Rbar three sigma Upper Limit
Number of samples
164.5 Xbar one sigma Lower Limit
0.822 Rbar one sigma Lower Limit
Subgroup size
161.5 Xbar two sigma Lower Limit
n/a
Rbar two sigma Lower Limit
120
Number of subgroups
158.5 Xbar three sigma Lower Limit
n/a
Rbar three sigma Lower Limit
Data
Sub
Group
2.9948149 Rbar/d2
120
1
Sub
Group
5.934 Rbar one sigma Upper Limit
Data
Sub
Group
Data
Sub
Group
Data
Sub
Group
Data
Sub
Group
Data
Sub
Group
Data
Sub
Group
1
165
26
163
51
170
76
163
101
161
126
151
176
2
166
27
166
52
172
77
165
102
165
127
152
177
3
166
28
167
53
171
78
168
103
164
128
153
178
4
167
29
166
54
169
79
164
104
171
129
154
179
5
162
30
172
55
163
80
171
105
169
130
155
180
6
171
31
170
56
166
81
166
106
168
131
156
181
7
169
32
172
57
173
82
172
107
166
132
157
182
8
171
33
171
58
166
83
167
108
172
133
158
183
9
164
34
171
59
170
84
161
109
167
134
159
184
10
169
35
170
60
171
85
169
110
164
135
160
185
11
165
36
167
61
167
86
165
111
170
136
161
186
12
166
37
166
62
170
87
170
112
164
137
162
187
13
170
38
170
63
171
88
164
113
168
138
163
188
14
164
39
169
64
167
89
166
114
169
139
164
189
15
166
40
166
65
170
90
164
115
171
140
165
190
16
168
41
168
66
170
91
165
116
172
141
166
191
17
169
42
168
67
171
92
164
117
175
142
167
192
18
165
43
170
68
165
93
161
118
176
143
168
193
19
160
44
169
69
168
94
165
119
169
144
169
194
20
168
45
167
70
168
95
162
120
171
145
170
195
21
169
46
170
71
174
96
169
121
146
171
196
22
165
47
163
72
167
97
169
122
147
172
197
23
163
48
168
73
164
98
172
123
148
173
198
24
167
49
172
74
161
99
163
124
149
174
199
25
165
50
167
75
166
100
167
125
150
175
200
Data
Evaluation of Results; The Z value
• For all cooking methods, a statistical analysis of the data
points may be used when not all the data are at or above
the target temperature.
• When temperature data are normally distributed, one
approach is to calculate the Z value for the data using the
formula from all data for a product cooked using a specified
set of consumer directions.
– Z= (average temperature – target temperature) / standard deviation
• The probability that a random temperature value would be
less than the target temperature can be determined from a
statistical table
Resources and References
• American Society for Quality; asq.org
– Statistical Process Control Charts
• Validation of Consumer Cooking Instructions for Not Ready
to Eat Products
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/4916430/GUIDELINES-FORVALIDATION-OF-CONSUMER-COOKINGINSTRUCTIONS-FOR-NOT• Evaluation of Cooking Instructions and Methods for
Uncooked Beef Products;
http://www.beef.org/uDocs/Eval%20of%20Cooking%20Instr
uctions_Warren_7_7_03.pdf