Consumer handling Table 12.2 Maximum temperature measured and increase in bacterial numbe in chilled foods during 1 h in car followed by 5h in a domestic refrigerator Product Conditions Maximun Pseudomonas temperature (generations) (generations) C Pate Ambient. car Cool box car <04 Chicken-raw Ambient. car 1.6 Cool box car Ambient. car 1.8 cooked Cool box car 344827 Prawns Ambient car 13 Cool box car 0.0 Source: Evans et al.. 1991 display. If this rather optimistic assumption was not made then up to 4.2 doublings of pseudomonas and growth of both salmonella and listeria were predicted. Only very small increases in bacterial numbers(<0. 4 genera- tions)were predicted in products transported in the insulated box, owing to the maintenance of lower product temperatures. Although it was unable to prevent bacterial growth, the cold box did ensure that bacterial growth was minimal and was substantially less than if transported in ambient conditions 12.3 Refrigerated storage in the home The length of time consumers store chilled foods after purchase will affect their safety. In the survey consumers thought that the majority of meat and meat products (raw meat, cooked meat, raw poultry, cooked poultry, pre pared meals, pizza/quiche, cold pies and sausages) would store well for 2 days. However, a number of people considered that these foods could be stored for more than 7 days and sometimes as long as 30 days. Most par ticipants thought that products such as bacon and pate could be stored for up to a week, although a few people considered that storage of up to 30 days was acceptable. Fresh fish was generally considered to store less well, ith most participants stating that they would only store fish for 1 day or less o The range in anticipated storage life for different food types varied con- derably Opinions on the storage lives of individual foods ranged from 0.5 o 7 days(range 6.5 days)for cold pies and sausages to between 0.5 to 30 days(range 29.5 days) for pate and bacon. The minimum storage life for all meats and meat products was either a quarter or half a day. A small number of householders thought that they could store chilled foods for periods of up to 30 days. Bacon and pate were both thought to be acceptable after thisdisplay. If this rather optimistic assumption was not made then up to 4.2 doublings of pseudomonas and growth of both salmonella and listeria were predicted. Only very small increases in bacterial numbers (<0.4 genera￾tions) were predicted in products transported in the insulated box, owing to the maintenance of lower product temperatures. Although it was unable to prevent bacterial growth, the cold box did ensure that bacterial growth was minimal and was substantially less than if transported in ambient conditions. 12.3 Refrigerated storage in the home The length of time consumers store chilled foods after purchase will affect their safety. In the survey consumers thought that the majority of meat and meat products (raw meat, cooked meat, raw poultry, cooked poultry, pre￾pared meals, pizza/quiche, cold pies and sausages) would store well for 2 days. However, a number of people considered that these foods could be stored for more than 7 days and sometimes as long as 30 days. Most par￾ticipants thought that products such as bacon and pâté could be stored for up to a week, although a few people considered that storage of up to 30 days was acceptable. Fresh fish was generally considered to store less well, with most participants stating that they would only store fish for 1 day or less. The range in anticipated storage life for different food types varied con￾siderably. Opinions on the storage lives of individual foods ranged from 0.5 to 7 days (range 6.5 days) for cold pies and sausages to between 0.5 to 30 days (range 29.5 days) for pâté and bacon. The minimum storage life for all meats and meat products was either a quarter or half a day.A small number of householders thought that they could store chilled foods for periods of up to 30 days. Bacon and pâté were both thought to be acceptable after this Consumer handling 255 Table 12.2 Maximum temperature measured and increase in bacterial numbers in chilled foods during 1 h in car followed by 5 h in a domestic refrigerator Product Conditions Maximum Pseudomonas Clostridium temperature (generations) (generations) (°C) Pâté Ambient, car 25 1.5 0.4 Cool box, car 13 <0.4 0.0 Chicken – raw Ambient, car 24 1.6 0.2 Cool box, car 4 0.0 0.0 Chicken – Ambient, car 28 1.8 0.7 cooked Cool box, car 12 0.0 0.0 Prawns Ambient, car 37 1.3 1.6 Cool box, car 14 0.0 0.0 Source: Evans et al., 1991