Marion B. Coleman

Studies of Rebaking Cream-Filled Pastries *

IN spite of the widespread publicity regarding the role of cream-filled pastries in food poisoning, the number of outbreaks attributable to them proves that either the bakers or the consumers fail to take the necessary preventive measures. Stritar, Dack, and Jungewaelter 1 and Korff2 have reported that custardfilled pastries may be reheated to destroy staphylococci without impairing the flavor or appearance of the product. Korff states that about 15 bakeries in Baltimore were using this procedure in 1936 and finding it satisfactory. There is no evidence, however, that bakeries in general recognize its importance. It therefore seems desirable, in order to provide further data in support of the practice, to report the results of a few experiments undertaken for purposes of confirmation. Experiments were conducted to determine: (1) the time and temperature of rebaking necessary to render nonviable an enterotoxigenic strain of staphylococcus in the custard filling in eclair shells; and (2) the palatability of rebaked custard-filled eclairs, chocolate cream pie, and Boston cream pie.