Prof. Keith Warriner was featured in a Jan. 2 Global News story about the safest methods for defrosting meat.
Global News highlighted a new study from Abertay University in Scotland that says it’s better to defrost meat in the fridge rather than in the microwave or on the countertop. Warriner, a professor of food science at U of G, said that’s only partially true, and that it’s better to defrost meat in a sink of cold water where the heat transfer is much faster and more consistent. He also emphasized the importance of reading labels to determine the length of time needed to properly defrost meat and said that investing in a meat thermometer is also a good idea.
Warriner studies food safety in the meat processing and fresh-cut sectors, and has developed decontamination methods for salmonella and for products that can cause food-borne illness outbreaks.