Add “cooking safer foods” to the lists of reasons to buy a
clam-style indoor electric grill.

Television infomercials and former heavyweight champions
guarantee these grills cook food quickly and reduce fat. But
University of Georgia food scientists say their research shows
they also kill harmful pathogens.

Food scientist Mark Harrison studied grills with double-sided
heating elements as part of a study on fast-food cooking
techniques.

“We actually looked at clamshell grills, ones with heating
elements on top and bottom, to see if they kill pathogens faster
than grills that heat just from beneath,” he said. Harrison is a
researcher with the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.

Scientists Were Concerned

Food scientists were interested in comparing quick and slow
cooking processes to see how they compare at killing harmful
pathogens.

“Our studies found these grills heat the meat considerably faster
and are still effective at killing pathogens like E. coli and
listeria,” Harrison said.

Many fast food restaurants use these clamshell grills for cooking
hamburgers. “They heat the hamburger patties considerably faster
and still eliminate harmful organisms,” he said. “And now,
similar types are available for home use.”