Time, Temperature, Microbial and Sensory Quality Assessment of Chicken and Noodles in a Hospital Foodservice System

Abstract

ABSTRACT Time and temperature, sensory and microbial quality of chicken and noodles were assessed in a hospital where food in plastic bags was stored refrigerated for 1 month. Respective end‐point temperatures and times were: cooking, 88.3 ± 6.4°C, 15.0 ± 8.3 min; cooling, 8.7 ± 2.9°C, 2.0 ± 0.6 hr; storage, 0.2 ± 0.6°C, 3 to 31 days; heating, 63.2 ± 13.4°C, 1.8 ± 0.1 hr; holding (convection oven), 83.4 ± 10.8°C, 1.7 ± 0.1 hr; and holding (steam table), 79.8 ± 9.2°C, 27.2 ± 15.2 min. Respective mesophilic, psychrotrophic, coliform, staphylococcal and anaerobic spore counts (colony forming units or most probable number per g) were: 387, 197, <3, <10 and 6. Scores for general acceptability (60‐point scale) were 29.7 for the fresh product and 25.4 after 4 wk storage; this difference was significant.