Determining the amounts of Bacteria Present in Meat Post Various forms of Cooking and Thawing
School Name
Greenville Technical Charter High School
Grade Level
11th Grade
Presentation Topic
Microbiology
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Oral Presentation Award
2nd Place
Abstract
Safety of meat is a prevalent concern in modern society that raises several questions regarding health and cooking meat. When thawing and cooking meat, many often make crucial mistakes that cause the propagation of dangerous bacteria. Building on research from previous years, in this experiment, I tested the various levels of bacteria in meat after utilizing different thawing and cooking methods. I tested bacterial levels in meat thawed at room temperature and in the refrigerator; I also determined bacterial colony counts in meat cooked in the microwave versus meat cooked on the stove top. After sterilizing samples of treated meat, I incubated the meat samples on petri dishes and used a microscope to determine the colony counts on the plate. The results demonstrated that meat thawed at room temperature had 23% more bacteria than meat thawed in the refrigerator; additionally, the meat cooked in the microwave had 19.6% more bacteria than that cooked on the stove top. By applying this knowledge, one should take measures to thaw meat in the refrigerator and cook meat on the stove top.
Recommended Citation
Abdeladl, Roann, "Determining the amounts of Bacteria Present in Meat Post Various forms of Cooking and Thawing" (2017). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 167.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2017/all/167
Location
Wall 224
Start Date
3-25-2017 8:45 AM
Presentation Format
Oral Only
Group Project
No
Determining the amounts of Bacteria Present in Meat Post Various forms of Cooking and Thawing
Wall 224
Safety of meat is a prevalent concern in modern society that raises several questions regarding health and cooking meat. When thawing and cooking meat, many often make crucial mistakes that cause the propagation of dangerous bacteria. Building on research from previous years, in this experiment, I tested the various levels of bacteria in meat after utilizing different thawing and cooking methods. I tested bacterial levels in meat thawed at room temperature and in the refrigerator; I also determined bacterial colony counts in meat cooked in the microwave versus meat cooked on the stove top. After sterilizing samples of treated meat, I incubated the meat samples on petri dishes and used a microscope to determine the colony counts on the plate. The results demonstrated that meat thawed at room temperature had 23% more bacteria than meat thawed in the refrigerator; additionally, the meat cooked in the microwave had 19.6% more bacteria than that cooked on the stove top. By applying this knowledge, one should take measures to thaw meat in the refrigerator and cook meat on the stove top.
