Evaluation of different food safety education interventions

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 762-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaohua Feng ◽  
Christine Bruhn ◽  
David Marx
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Standard Material ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Safety Education ◽  
Safe Handling ◽  
Significant Difference

Purpose – The positive deviance (PD) focus group is a novel educational intervention that allows participants to discuss their food handling behaviors and decide to try recommended practices modeled by people like themselves. Currently, most food safety education is delivered through reading materials. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of food safety education utilizing three interventions: PD, personal story reading and reading standard material. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 89 pregnant women and 93 people with diabetes received food safety information through one of three intervention methods: PD, reading standard educational material (Standard) and reading material presented in a story format (Story). A survey assessed self-reported risk and food safety knowledge and personal hygiene before and after the interventions. Take-home assignments allowed participants to practice recommendations. Post class interviews and survey assessed knowledge gained and reported behavior change. Findings – Compared to those who merely read educational information, participants in a PD Intervention had higher knowledge scores and adopted more safe handling recommendations. Involvement of the participants and the length of information exposure likely contributed to the significant difference between the interventions. This suggests that food safety education is most effective when delivered in a supportive discussion format. Health education programs for these vulnerable groups should endeavor to deliver safe food handling guidelines through a PD approach. Originality/value – Previous research demonstrated the effectiveness of PD when delivering nutrition education. This is the first paper that explored the effectiveness of a PD intervention in delivering safe handling recommendations.

scholarly journals Over-confident and under-competent: exploring the importance of food safety education specific to high school students

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 65-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth J. Diplock ◽  
Andria Jones-Bitton ◽  
Scott T Leatherdale ◽  
Steven Rebellato ◽  
Joel A. Dubin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
School Students ◽  
Food Safety Education ◽  
Food Literacy ◽  
Safe Food

The objective of this study was to explore age-specific reasons why food safety education might be important for high school students (in Ontario, Canada), from a variety of expert perspectives. In May 2014, semi-structured key informant interviews (n = 20) were conducted with food safety and youth education experts. A thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts of the interviews was conducted. Participants identified three major reasons why food safety is important for high school students: (i) they have current and personal needs for food safety information, (ii) high school is an ideal time and place to instill life-long good habits, and (iii) they are part of the foodborne illness risk landscape. Food safety education was deemed important for high school students, who were seen as a unique and captive audience in need of safe food handling skills, now and in the future, for a variety of reasons: potential employment advantages, improved food literacy, combating their sense of “invincibility,” and helping instill essential life skills that they may not get elsewhere. These results confirm the importance of food safety education for high school students and highlight the need to determine age-appropriate interventions and methods to engage high school students and improve their safe food handling practices.

Food safety practices in European TV cooking shows

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (10) ◽  
pp. 1652-1666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Borda ◽  
Miles R. Thomas ◽  
Solveig Langsrud ◽  
Kathrin Rychli ◽  
Kieran Jordan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Safety Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cooking Practices ◽  
Cooking Shows ◽  
Good Hygiene

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine how well cooking shows promote safe food handling via TV and to suggest their use for providing good hygiene and good cooking practices examples for consumers. Design/methodology/approach – Principal component analysis was applied for the multivariate statistical analysis of the cooking shows, the components being: personal hygiene, cross-contamination, cooking and storing practices and risk communication. Data were collected via a questionnaire special designed for the purpose of the study. The positive attributes were converted into numbers using a nine-point Likert scale. This conversion enabled ranking of the cooking shows as a function of the total results obtained and considering the best show as the one with the maximum score attained. Findings – Evaluation of cooking practices by food safety professionals highlighted the most frequent safety errors and poor practices that are disseminated by the TV shows. Practical implications – While the repetition of good food handling and cooking practices risks antagonizing viewers, an increase in occasional emphasis of good hygiene would be of benefit to domestic viewers and potentially improve food safety practices among the public. Originality/value – This is the first study that gives an European perspective on presentation of safety practices during food handling and preparation in a range of TV cooking shows as it examines 19 such shows broadcasted in six European countries over three months. Adherence to food safety standards and introduction of a star rating system for safety practices in TV cooking shows is proposed.

Comparison between Self-Reported and Observed Food Handling Behaviors among Latinas

2007 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 1927-1932 ◽  
Author(s):  
JIGNA MORARJI DHAROD ◽  
RAFAEL PÉREZ-ESCAMILLA ◽  
STEFANIA PACIELLO ◽  
ANGELA BERMÚDEZ-MILLÁN ◽  
KUMAR VENKITANARAYANAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Safety Behaviors ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Food Ingredients ◽  
Safety Attitudes ◽  
Food Safety Education ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
High Level ◽  
Main Meal

The study was conducted to compare and identify the magnitude of differences between self-reported and observed food safety behaviors among women preparing a chicken and salad dish at home. The observed food safety practices also were compared according to sociodemographic variables and prior food safety education. Sixty Puerto Rican women who were the main meal preparers for their households were recruited in Hartford, Conn. Three household visits were made to (i) deliver food ingredients to prepare the chicken and salad meal, (ii) conduct household observation, and (iii) conduct a self-reported survey. The difference between self-reported and observed behaviors varied across food handling and sanitation behaviors. There was a high level of inaccuracy for socially desirable behaviors such as hand washing; the vast majority of participants reported practicing these behaviors but they were not observed doing so. Cutting board washing also was considerably over-reported, questioning the validity of these self-reported data for regression analyses. There was a significant association (P < 0.05) between proper thawing method and prior food safety education, use of cutting board and higher income, and washing tomatoes and having a positive attitude towards food safety. Results revealed that overreporting errors must be considered when analyzing and/or interpreting data derived from self-reported food safety consumer surveys and that food safety education and positive food safety attitudes are associated with recommended food safety behaviors.

Self-reported food safety knowledge and practices of Lebanese food handlers in Lebanese households

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (3) ◽  
pp. 518-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussein F. Hassan ◽  
Hani Dimassi ◽  
Zeina Nakat Karam
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Food Handlers ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Safety Knowledge

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess level of food safety knowledge and self-reported practices among Lebanese food handlers in Lebanese households and to identify the association between knowledge/practices and socio-demographic characteristics. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,500 participants from different gender, age, area of residence, income, marital status and education. They completed a questionnaire of six questions about demographics, and 26 questions related to knowledge and self-reported practices in terms of food handling, storage, usage of kitchen facilities and personal hygiene subgroups. SPSS v23 was used for statistical analyses. Student t-test and analysis of variance were conducted. Significance level of 0.05 was used. Findings On average, participants scored 55.6±16.3, 51.3±25.7, 67.4±19.3 and 89.1±16.3 on food handling, storage, usage of kitchen facilities and personal hygiene, respectively, whereas the passing (score above 50 percent) rates were 64.5, 69.9, 90.5 and 99.1, respectively, for the different subgroups. Gender had significant (p<0.05) effect on food handling and personal hygiene; age, marital status and education had significant (p<0.05) effect on handling, usage of kitchen facilities and personal hygiene; area of residence had significant (p<0.05) effect on storage, handling and usage of kitchen facilities; income had significant (p<0.05) effect on handling and usage of kitchen facilities. Overall mean food safety knowledge and self-reported practices score was 63.8±12.6; passing rate was 86.2; gender, age, area of residence, education, marital status and income had significant (p<0.05) effect. Food safety self-reported practices and knowledge scores were significantly (p<0.001) related to a weak to moderate correlation coefficient (R=0.34). Practical implications The results confirm the need for ongoing educational initiatives to improve the relatively low food safety knowledge and practices among the Lebanese food handlers in Lebanese households. Originality/value No study has determined the food safety knowledge and self-reported practices of Lebanese food handlers in Lebanese households before.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review on the Usability of Web-Based Applications in Advocating Consumers on Food Safety

Foods ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Wen-Li Seow ◽  
Umi Kalsom Md Ariffin ◽  
Sook Yee Lim ◽  
Nurul Azmawati Mohamed ◽  
Kai Wei Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Safety Evaluation ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Food Safety Education ◽  
Application Systems ◽  
Level Of Knowledge

Food safety is an important indicator of public health, as foodborne illnesses continue to cause productivity and economic loss. In recent years, web-based applications have been extensively used by the online users’ population. Almost one third (28.3%) of online users found web-based application to be a notable source of food safety information. The objective of the current review is to determine the effectiveness of a web-based application systems as a health promotion tool for consumers to increase their knowledge and awareness of food safety. A systematic literature review was conducted by analyzing 11 selected web-based food safety education-related articles. The studies were categorized into several themes: (1) web-based applications used in accessing food safety information; (2) food safety evaluation and perception among consumers; (3) beliefs and level of knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of consumers; and (4) impact and contribution of social media use. A diverse number of online applications have been utilized to promote food safety education among consumers, yet these web-based applications need to be improved with regards to social connection and integration among consumers. KAP surveys were conducted on the majority of the respondents with a particular focus on their knowledge level. Findings show that web-based applications may act as an alternative to the traditional media in enhancing food safety education among consumers, especially youths who are tech-savvy.

An Investigation on Urban Office Workers' Cognition on Food Safety when Eating Out

2013 ◽  
Vol 781-784 ◽  
pp. 1661-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Li ◽  
Wan Yuan Xia ◽  
Hai Lin Tang ◽  
Yan Hong Huang ◽  
Ling Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Office Workers ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Safety Problem ◽  
Food Safety Education ◽  
Basic Reference ◽  
Eating Out

This study aims to investigate the Chongqing office workers cognition on food safety when eating out, then to provide basic reference about the food safety education for the office workers. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 2637 office workers in eight commercial centers of Chongqing municipal main urban districts by street interview, using self-designed questionnaire of Chongqing main urban office workers cognition on food safety when eating out. 2400 valid questionnaires were analyzed. 64.41%(1540/2391) of the office workers would pay attention to food safety problem. 14.73% (352/2390) of the office workers were aware of food safety grade rating, and the awareness rates of male are significant higher than female. When meeting with food safety problems, 80.87% (1936/2394) of the office workers would choose to exchange the dishes, 30.95% (741/2394) of them would remind friends not to consume, 23.73% (568/2394) of them would refuse to pay for the dishes, 10.74% (257/2394) of the office workers would claim for compensation, 9.36% (224/2394) of them would report it to the department concerned, 9.19% (220/2394) of them thought they had bad luck,2.92% (70/2394) of the office workers would choose to disclose it by media. The main channels of food safety information were TV (85.54%, 2087/2385), newspapers (68.60%, 1636/2385), network (55.89%, 1333/2385), and magazines (24.70%, 589/2385). The attention that office workers paid to food safety and the relevant laws, regulations and measures is low, and the office workers lack of right-protection awareness, Besides TV and newspapers, network has become the main sources of information on food safety.

Consumer Food-Handling Behaviors Associated with Prevention of 13 Foodborne Illnesses

2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (10) ◽  
pp. 1893-1899 ◽  
Author(s):  
VIRGINIA N. HILLERS ◽  
LYDIA MEDEIROS ◽  
PATRICIA KENDALL ◽  
GANG CHEN ◽  
STEVE DiMASCOLA
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Delphi Technique ◽  
Food Microbiology ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Foodborne Illnesses ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Secondary Importance ◽  
Food Safety Education

To be effective in reducing the incidence of foodborne illness, consumers and food safety educators need information about behaviors that will decrease exposure to foodborne pathogens. A four-round Delphi technique was used to survey nationally recognized experts in food microbiology, epidemiology, food safety education, and food safety policy with the aim of identifying and ranking food-handling and consumption behaviors associated with 13 major foodborne pathogens. The food safety experts ranked behaviors related to keeping foods at safe temperatures as of primary importance in preventing illness caused by Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens and of secondary importance in preventing illness caused by Staphylococcus aureus. The use of a thermometer to cook foods adequately was ranked as of primary importance for the prevention of illness caused by Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella species, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Toxoplasma gondii, and Yersinia enterocolitica, with the avoidance of cross-contamination being ranked as of secondary importance for most of these pathogens. Hand washing was the top-ranked behavior for the prevention of shigellosis. The avoidance of certain foods that are likely to be contaminated was the top-ranked behavior for the prevention of illnesses caused by Listeria monocytogenes, Noroviruses, and Vibrio species. The expert panel's ranking of behaviors for the reduction of the risk of illness caused by major foodborne pathogens can enable consumers to make informed choices about food consumption and handling behaviors and can guide food safety educators in prioritizing their educational efforts.

Observation of High School Students' Food Handling Behaviors: Do They Improve following a Food Safety Education Intervention?

2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (6) ◽  
pp. 917-925 ◽  
Author(s):  
KENNETH J. DIPLOCK ◽  
JOEL A. DUBIN ◽  
SCOTT T. LEATHERDALE ◽  
DAVID HAMMOND ◽  
ANDRIA JONES-BITTON ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Student Characteristics ◽  
Food Handler ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
School Students ◽  
Food Safety Education ◽  
Safe Food

ABSTRACT Youth are a key audience for food safety education. They often engage in risky food handling behaviors, prepare food for others, and have limited experience and knowledge of safe food handling practices. Our goal was to investigate the effectiveness of an existing food handler training program for improving safe food handling behaviors among high school students in Ontario, Canada. However, because no schools agreed to provide control groups, we evaluated whether behaviors changed following delivery of the intervention program and whether changes were sustained over the school term. We measured 32 food safety behaviors, before the intervention and at 2-week and 3-month follow-up evaluations by in-person observations of students (n = 119) enrolled in grade 10 and 12 Food and Nutrition classes (n = 8) and who individually prepared recipes. We examined within-student changes in behaviors across the three time points, using mixed effects regression models to model trends in the total food handling score (of a possible 32 behaviors) and subscores for “clean” (17 behaviors), “separate” (14 behaviors), and “cook” (1 behavior), adjusting for student characteristics. At baseline, students (n = 108) averaged 49.1% (15.7 of 32 behaviors; standard deviation = 5.8) correct food handling behaviors, and only 5.5% (6) of the 108 students used a food thermometer to check the doneness of the chicken (the “cook” behavior). All four behavior score types increased significantly ∼2 weeks postintervention and remained unchanged ∼3 months later. Student characteristics (e.g., having taken a prior food handling course) were not significant predictors of the total number of correctly performed food handling behaviors or of the “clean” or “separate” behaviors, and working or volunteering in a food service establishment was the only student characteristic significantly associated with food thermometer use (i.e., “cook”) Despite the significant increase in correct behaviors, students continued to use risky practices postintervention, suggesting that the risk of foodborne disease remained.

Content analysis of food safety implications in online flour-handling recipes

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tressie Barrett ◽  
Yaohua Feng
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Cross Contamination ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Shell Eggs ◽  
Safety Risks ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
Food Recalls

PurposeNumerous food recalls and outbreaks were associated with wheat flour in recent years. Few consumers are cognizant of food safety risks associated with raw flour. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the food safety information and flour-handling behaviors presented in popular food blog recipes and in YouTube videos using cookie, cookie dough and egg noodle recipes as examples.Design/methodology/approachEighty-five blog recipes and 146 videos were evaluated. Blog author and video host food-handling experience was classified as professional or nonprofessional. Food safety information and food-handling behaviors were evaluated for adherence to government and scientific recommendations.FindingsBlog authors and video hosts demonstrated higher awareness of food safety risks associated with raw eggs compared to raw flour, which only translated into better adherence with recommended food-handling behaviors during ingredient addition steps. Cross-contamination from adding raw flour to the product was observed in 25% of videos, whereas cross-contamination from hosts adding raw shell eggs was observed 3% of videos. Blog authors and video hosts did not recommend or demonstrate handwashing after handling raw shell eggs nor raw flour, and fewer than 5% provided recommendations for cleaning work surfaces. Heat treatment methods to convert raw flour into ready-to-eat products were mentioned by 24% of blog authors and 18% of video hosts; however, the recommendations were not scientifically validated.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates the need to develop educational interventions that increase blog authors' and video hosts' awareness of risks associated with raw flour and that translate this knowledge into practiced behaviors.

Determinants of the food safety knowledge and practice among Iranian consumers

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jafar Sadegh Tabrizi ◽  
Leila Nikniaz ◽  
Homayoun Sadeghi-Bazargani ◽  
Mostafa Farahbakhsh ◽  
Zeinab Nikniaz
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Capital City ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Safety Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Safety Education ◽  
Knowledge And Practice ◽  
Safety Knowledge

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the food safety knowledge and practices of the Iranian consumers and also its association with socio-demographic characteristics. Design/methodology/approach In the present cross-sectional and population-based study, the validated food safety questionnaires applied to 1,500 participants who were selected through multistage stratified cluster sampling from the capital city and regional area of East-Azerbaijan – Iran. The Student t-test and analysis of variance and linear regression were used for statistical analysis. Findings Although the overall percentages of mean score for knowledge (77.66 percent) and self-reported practice (70.77 percent) were good, there was a low level of awareness and self-reported practice in some subsections such as optimal heating/cooling temperature, proper thawing techniques and eating raw egg. Female and married respondents had significantly higher mean knowledge score than males (p<0.001) and singles (p=0.04). Residents of regional areas acted more safely than capital city residents (p=0.01). Research limitations/implications Despite the good knowledge of some respondents regarding food safety, their food safety practices were poor. It can thus be suggested that the future studies have better focus on investigating the perceived barriers of consumers about food safety practices. Practical implications Although the mean knowledge and practice regarding food safety of Iranian consumers was good, yet there is the lack of knowledge and practice on some important factors related to food poisonings such as eating raw or lightly cooked egg or improper heating/thawing practices. So, it is important to develop proper food safety education programs emphasizing on these issues. According to lower food safety knowledge and practice of low-educated, single and male respondents, the educational programs should mainly focus on these groups. Originality/value For the development of effective food safety education programs in Iran, learning about the basic knowledge and practice of consumers is essential; however, there is limited data that directly tackles this issue in Iran.

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