Thermal inactivation of major food pathogens in air fryer cooking of lahmacun: A traditional Turkish fast food

Lahmacun is a popular traditional fast-food style dish, widely consumed in Turkey and served in many restaurants in the EU countries. However, there are no data and standards on the thermal inactivation of pathogens when cooking lahmacun in an air fryer, which appears to be healthy because it is fast, convenient and uses less oil. This study aimed to obtain standardised data on cooking times and temperatures of lahmacun in the air fryer and to determine the thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium in an experimental environment. For this purpose, pathogen-contaminated lahmacuns were cooked in an air fryer at 180, 190 and 200°C for 3, 5 and 8 minutes each. Then, the counts of E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and S. Typhimurium were determined. It was found that E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes, and S. Typhimurium bacterial counts were reduced (approximately 5 log) and became edible when lahmacun was cooked in an air fryer at 180, 190 and 200°C (5 and 8 min). However, it was found that cooking at these temperatures (3 min) did not reduce E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium counts by < 1.0 log10, although the lahmacun became sensory edible. The results of this study will assist the food industry in ensuring lahmacun's microbiological safety. This study highlights the importance of validating thermal processes in new devices under home and food service use conditions to ensure consumer food safety.