Evaluating uncertainty and variability associated with Toxoplasma gondii survival during cooking and low temperature storage of fresh cut meats.

Abstract Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. It has been reported as the fourth leading cause of hospitalization and second leading cause of death among 31 major foodborne pathogens in the United States. Humans are infected through consumption of raw or undercooked meat containing T. gondii tissue cysts or ingestion of food, soil, or water contaminated by T. gondii oocysts. People often lack knowledge about how to prevent T. gondii infection, especially the risks associated with eating or handling raw or undercooked meat. Current available data on cooking or low temperature storage for whole cuts of meat are not sufficient to validate inactivation of T. gondii. The objectives of the present study were to estimate the relationship of time and temperature with the survival rate of T. gondii during cooking and low temperature storage of fresh cut meats. We used different statistical sampling techniques such as bootstrap resampling and Gibbs sampling to establish those relationships. Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate the safe temperature for cooking and storing meats. The results showed no detection of T. gondii in fresh meats when the internal temperature reached above 64 °C (147.2 °F) and below −18 °C (0 °F). The tissue cysts can remain viable at least up to 30 days at 4 °C (39 °F) and about 3.3% cysts survived at 62.8 °C (145 °F). This study can provide helpful information in improving the risk models to further mitigate the public health burden of toxoplasmosis.