Microbial and Quality Assessment of Household Food Discards ¹

Quality aspects and microbial counts of household food discards were determined. Samples were analyzed for total aerobic and anaerobic plate counts, total coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus , total anaerobes, Clostridium perfringens , and molds. The length of household storage time, the householder's reason for discard, the householder's safety assessment of the food and laboratory panel evaluations of off-odor, off-color and off-texture were compared to the laboratory microbial analyses. In 62% of the microbiologically analyzed foods, the householder did not make correct safety assessments. In 9% of the microbiologically analyzed foods, an assessment of safe was made by the householder for foods which wre determined to be at risk. Aerobic plate counts (APC) were made after incubation at 5, 20, and 35°C. Panel odor scores were more closely related to APC at 5°C than to those at 20 or 35°C.