Serving Cream-Filled Pastry? Cool it!

Yes, a cream puff can kill. When cream or custard-filled pastries are kept at room temperature, bacteria multiply rapidly.  Although it seems hard to believe, treats such as éclairs and cannoli can be a menace.  In Rhode Island, in March and early April, Salmonella-tainted pastries  (including an Italian pastry called “zeppole”) from DeFusco’s Bakery in Johnston were the probable cause of  66 cases of food-borne illness. Of these victims, 28 were hospitalized and two have died. 

In examining DeFusco’s facilities, health inspectors found many food-safety violations.  These included the following:

1) the storage of pastry filling on the floor at room temperature (Pathogens grow rapidly in high-protein, low-acid food.)   

2) the use of cardboard egg cartons to hold pastry shells (Salmonella was detected in the boxes, suggesting that egg residue from tainted eggs contaminated the pastries.). 

According to Food Safety News, “Outbreaks involving bakeries or catering companies are often the result of food handlers’ poor personal hygiene, cross contamination or temperature abuse.”  The author mentions last year’s Salmonella outbreak in Illinois, also attributed to a bakery, which sickened at least 100 people. 

What’s the moral of this story?  You got it.  If cream pies and pastries are not contaminated when they enter your home, you can keep them safe to eat by handling them with clean hands and clean utensils and by refrigerating pastries promptly before and after serving.

For warm-weather outdoor parties, cream and custard desserts may not be the smartest of choices.  If you’re invited to an open house at which delicious-looking cream pastries have been sitting on the buffet since the party started 3 hours earlier, look around for a brownie or a cookie. 

Source(s):

Foodsafetynews.com “Second Death in Rhoda Island Salmonella Outbreak”
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/04/second-death-in-rhode-island-salmonella-outbreak/

cnn.com Health “Second salmonella-associated death reported in Rhode Island”
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/08/rhode.island.salmonella.death/index.html

boston.com “2^nd salmonella death reported in RI”
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2011/04/08/2nd_salmonella_death_reported_in_ri/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+news