Performance and conditions of use of refrigerated display cabinets among producer/vendors of foodstuffs

The current study concerns the temperature of foodstuffs on sale in refrigerated display cabinets in bakeries, pork butcherʹs/delicatessens and cheese/dairy shops. The authors propose a single criterion to estimate whether storage conditions are satisfactory: foodstuffs must remain at temperatures below or equal to 7 °C to avoid any hazardous bacterial growth. Applying this criterion, 70% of time–temperature profiles are unsatisfactory. Of the main factors responsible for these excess temperatures, the authors distinguished factors related to the refrigerated display itself from factors related to professional practices. The equipment must be properly designed, used and maintained in order to keep foodstuff temperatures within a range geared to food safety needs.