Banquet Says It’s Your Job to Kill Pathogens

16 May, 2009

Posted by: Gregory Ng: The Frozen Food Master

You may have noticed recently that I have commented in my reviews how food companies now build in a temperature step in their directions. All of a sudden the last step of most of the foods I’ve reviewed require you to take a thermometer and make sure the internal temperature has reached a certain level before eating.

If you ask me, that is ludacris. There is no way people who are buying $0.99 meals are going to take the time to stick a thermometer into their “meat patty”. The New York Times has written a great article entited, “Food Companies Are Placing the Onus for Safety on Consumers “. In it, they included this informative video called “Pot Pie Confidential” and have also explained why ConAgra, the maker of Banquet meals started off this new strategy in light of the huge salmonella scare 2 years ago.

So what do you say guys? Is it reasonable for companies to pass the responsibility onto frozen food eaters? Or are they just covering their butts?

FreezerBurns^TM is a video review show on a mission to deliver you real reviews and real answers to one of life’s most stressful decisions: choosing the best frozen foods on the planet. Greg is the Frozen Food Master^TM and acts as both food critic and guinea pig. Join him every tuesday and friday as he eats his way through the freezer aisle one box at a time, only on Hungry Nation.

Website: http://www.Freezerburns.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/freezerburns
Facebook: http://facebook.freezerburns.com

Jim

Banquet Says It’s Your Job to Kill Pathogens…………uhhhwhat……..my job?
I hope nobody gets sick.
I’m not worried, US Army Veteran here. Just drinking the water in places Ive been Will either kill you or boost your immune system.
Jim

Banquet Says It’s Your Job to Kill Pathogens…………uhhhwhat……..my job?
I hope nobody gets sick.
I’m not worried, US Army Veteran here. Just drinking the water in places Ive been Will either kill you or boost your immune system.
http://www.pizzapartyonline.com Bear Silber

I don’t know….I’d say it’s a little of both…the responsibility is surely on the manufacturer but it’s somewhat on the consumer as well. Especially in the case that thr consumer is cooking the final product themselves. I don’t agree that they should need to have a thermoeter to know whether or not it’s cooked but I do think that if it’s an item thwt could be susceptible to undercooking that that may be the only way a food company can guarantee that it does reach the correct temp. What with all the variances in microwave ovens, stoves and ovens. It’s a little of them watching their butts but what’s wrong with that. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
http://www.pizzapartyonline.com Bear Silber

I don’t know….I’d say it’s a little of both…the responsibility is surely on the manufacturer but it’s somewhat on the consumer as well. Especially in the case that thr consumer is cooking the final product themselves. I don’t agree that they should need to have a thermoeter to know whether or not it’s cooked but I do think that if it’s an item thwt could be susceptible to undercooking that that may be the only way a food company can guarantee that it does reach the correct temp. What with all the variances in microwave ovens, stoves and ovens. It’s a little of them watching their butts but what’s wrong with that. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Meg

I once heard a story of some Russian students that ate Banquet Fried Chicken without cooking it. Anyway, some stupid person probably ate a meal with out cooking it and got sick, then sued the crap out of the manufacturer. So, yes they are just covering their butt. Have you ever noticed on hair dryers that the label says not to use while in the shower! If people are that stupid, they deserve what they get.
Meg

I once heard a story of some Russian students that ate Banquet Fried Chicken without cooking it. Anyway, some stupid person probably ate a meal with out cooking it and got sick, then sued the crap out of the manufacturer. So, yes they are just covering their butt. Have you ever noticed on hair dryers that the label says not to use while in the shower! If people are that stupid, they deserve what they get.
Jim

US Army 18D SFC Retired
Does anyone know what 18D is?
Put it this way, I’M not a doctor, but I could either pull your tooth or amputate your arm in a combat environment and I say that from experience folks.
Jim

US Army 18D SFC Retired
Does anyone know what 18D is?
Put it this way, I’M not a doctor, but I could either pull your tooth or amputate your arm in a combat environment and I say that from experience folks.
Jim

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjobs/a/18d.htm

This might help.I like watching Greg Ng, Chris Hadley, and Bear Silblers cooking vids a lot more than than I did trying to put some kids guts back in him.This might be too
real, if it is delete it Greg
Jim

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/enlistedjobs/a/18d.htm

This might help.I like watching Greg Ng, Chris Hadley, and Bear Silblers cooking vids a lot more than than I did trying to put some kids guts back in him.This might be too
real, if it is delete it Greg
Mary

You know, after all the finagling around with the friggin” pot pie, I would probably end up calling my local pizza place or hitting a McDonalds.
Mary

You know, after all the finagling around with the friggin” pot pie, I would probably end up calling my local pizza place or hitting a McDonalds.
rob

Up to the consumer to properly heat the product, up to the meat patty maker to exercise due diligence in avoiding contaminants.
rob

Up to the consumer to properly heat the product, up to the meat patty maker to exercise due diligence in avoiding contaminants.
Meg

You know I’ve been eating frozen foods since childhood (many many years ago) and haven’t died. I think you run a greater risk of food poisoning going to a fast food place, where tons of people are touching your food, as opposed to frozen food, where it’s been mainly mechanically processed.
Meg

You know I’ve been eating frozen foods since childhood (many many years ago) and haven’t died. I think you run a greater risk of food poisoning going to a fast food place, where tons of people are touching your food, as opposed to frozen food, where it’s been mainly mechanically processed.
Mike

I think the video was saying this is something fairly new. They decided to stop cooking the ingredients all the way through because it made everything too “mushy”. So even if you’ve been eating them your whole life you still could get sick. In fact the video says thousands got sick from the Banquet pot pies a couple of years ago.
Mike

I think the video was saying this is something fairly new. They decided to stop cooking the ingredients all the way through because it made everything too “mushy”. So even if you’ve been eating them your whole life you still could get sick. In fact the video says thousands got sick from the Banquet pot pies a couple of years ago.
Jim

That's insane. It should be up to the company to provide instructions on proper cooking times and techniques and not on the consumer to buy secondary devices to ensure food safety. This seems like a way to try and avoid lawsuits and continue cutting corners and pushing profits at the expense of the consumer.
Rollin_wimpy

thats where you are wrong do al little research on food prepossessing and it will scare the pants off you