Food Protection Trends - September/October 2019 - 387

PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE

Minh Duong,1* John B. Luchansky,2
Anna C. S. Porto-Fett,2 Caitlin Warren3
and Benjamin Chapman4

Food Protection Trends, Vol 39, No. 5, p. 387-397
Copyright© 2019, International Association for Food Protection
6200 Aurora Ave., Suite 200W, Des Moines, IA 50322-2864

North Carolina State Dept. of Food, Bioprocessing, and
Nutrition Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
United States Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research
Service, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA
3
Souderton Area High School, Souderton, PA 18964, USA
4
North Carolina State Dept. of Agricultural and Human
Sciences, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA
1

Developing a Citizen Science Method to Collect
Whole Turkey Thermometer Usage Behaviors
ABSTRACT
Citizen science is a unique data collection method in
which non-scientists gather and interpret data in collaboration with professional scientists. The purpose of
this study was to identify thermometer usage behaviors
through a different process for data collection. Most
thermometeer usage studies happen through self-reported, quantitative studies. Recently, some studies have
used qualitative data such as videos, picture quantitative
data has been used to supplement it. A food safety lesson
on minimum internal temperature and correct thermometer usage was conducted with high school biology
classes in Pennsylvania and family and consumer sciences
classes in both North Carolina and Pennsylvania prior to
the schools' Thanksgiving break of 2016. As homework,
students inputted data into a web-based form on thermometer usage and endpoint cooking temperatures for
whole turkeys. Students were asked for picture evidence
of how/where the temperature of the turkey was taken.
If a photo was provided, students were asked how they
knew the turkey was "done." Four types of

thermometers were used: dial (n = 22), pop-up (n = 13),
digital (n = 11), and liquid (n = 1); two thermometers
were of an undetermined type. Of respondents, 31.5%
(18 of 57) reported an internal endpoint temperature of
165°F, and 7.01% (4 of 57) reported endpoint temperatures of less than 165°F. Respondents submitted photos
showing different thermometer placements, with 53.1%
(17 of 32) placing the thermometer in the breast, 35.3%
(12 of 34) in the thigh, and 14.7% (5 of 34) undetermined. Our data confirms that citizen science is a viable
method of collecting unbiased data obtained by providing participants with tools to collect information from
a primary and a photographically substantiated source
of information rather than relying on self-reported data
alone.

INTRODUCTION
Foodborne illness is a global public health problem. In the
U.S., it is estimated that 31 major pathogens are responsible
for 9.4 million foodborne illnesses, 55,961 hospitalizations,
and 1,351 deaths annually (34). The economic burden of

*Author for correspondence: Phone: +1 571.215.2128; Fax: +1 919.515.7124; Email: minhd16@vt.edu

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