Food safety research underpinning food service systems - a review

Salmonella contamination of pooled raw shelled egg mix (RSEM) used as an ingredient in lightly cooked or uncooked foods and high-risk kitchen hygiene practices in United Kingdom food service establishments using RSEM were investigated. Samples were collected from 934 premises. Salmonella was found in 1 (0.13%) of 764 RSEM samples, 2 (0.3%) of 726 samples from surfaces where ready-to-eat foods were prepared, and 7 (1.3%) of 550 cleaning cloths. Poor RSEM storage and handling practices were highlighted. Workers in 40% of the premises sampled failed to use designated utensils when RSEM was added to other ingredients, workers in 17% of the premises did not clean surfaces and utensils thoroughly after use with RSEM and before preparing other foods, only 42% of workers washed and dried their hands after handling eggs or RSEM, workers in 41% of the premises did not store RSEM at refrigeration temperature before use, and workers in 8% of the premises added RSEM to cooked rice at the end of cooking when preparing egg fried rice. Take-away premises, especially those serving Chinese cuisine, were least likely to have a documented food safety management system and awareness of the key food safety points concerning the use of RSEM compared with other food service premises (P < 0.0001). Food service businesses using RSEM must be aware of the continuing hazard from Salmonella, must adopt appropriate control measures, and must follow advice provided by national food agencies to reduce the risk of Salmonella infection.

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Should Weights and Risk Categories Be Used for Inspection Scores To Evaluate Food Safety in Restaurants?

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-15-292 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 79 (3) ◽

pp. 501-506 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

DIOGO THIMOTEO da CUNHA ◽

VERIDIANA VERA de ROSSO ◽

ELKE STEDEFELDT

Keyword(s):

Food Safety ◽

Food Service ◽

Safety Evaluation ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Raw Material ◽

Risk Category ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Evaluation Bias ◽

Risk Categories ◽

Food Safety Evaluation

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to verify the characteristics of food safety inspections, considering risk categories and binary scores. A cross-sectional study was performed with 439 restaurants in 43 Brazilian cities. A food safety checklist with 177 items was applied to the food service establishments. These items were classified into four groups (R1 to R4) according to the main factors that can cause outbreaks involving food: R1, time and temperature aspects; R2, direct contamination; R3, water conditions and raw material; and R4, indirect contamination (i.e., structures and buildings). A score adjusted for 100 was calculated for the overall violation score and the violation score for each risk category. The average violation score (standard deviation) was 18.9% (16.0), with an amplitude of 0.0 to 76.7%. Restaurants with a low overall violation score (approximately 20%) presented a high number of violations from the R1 and R2 groups, representing the most risky violations. Practical solutions to minimize this evaluation bias were discussed. Food safety evaluation should use weighted scores and be risk-based. However, some precautions must be taken by researchers, health inspectors, and health surveillance departments to develop an adequate and reliable instrument.

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Implementation of food safety refreshercourse for certified food service sanitation managers

Journal of the American Dietetic Association ◽

10.1016/s0002-8223(01)80053-5 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 101 (9) ◽

pp. A-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M.J. Winter ◽

S.A. Todd ◽

C.A. Schlitt ◽

J. Finck ◽

B.J. Farner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Safety ◽

Food Service

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Food Safety Knowledge Retention Study

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x-72.2.431 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 72 (2) ◽

pp. 431-435 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

NYALL HISLOP ◽

KEARA SHAW

Keyword(s):

Food Safety ◽

Service Industry ◽

Safety Information ◽

Food Service ◽

Knowledge Retention ◽

Foodborne Illness ◽

Valuable Insight ◽

Food Handlers ◽

Safety Certification ◽

Safety Knowledge

Foodborne illness in Canada is an ongoing burden for public health and the economy. Many foodborne illnesses result from improper food handling practices. If food handlers had a greater knowledge of what causes foodborne illness, perhaps these illnesses would have less of an impact on society. This study gave researchers the opportunity to examine the current food safety knowledge of food handlers by using a standardized questionnaire. Questionnaires were distributed by environmental health officers to food handlers working in the food service industry during on-site inspections, and responses were used to evaluate immediate knowledge of key food safety issues. Both certified and noncertified food handlers were evaluated. Information also was collected on the number of years since food safety certification was achieved and the number of years experience noncertified food handlers had in the food service industry. Results indicated that certified food handlers had a greater knowledge of food safety information than did noncertified food handlers. The highest failure rates were observed among noncertified food handlers with more than 10 years of experience and less than 1 year of experience. The results support the need for mandatory food safety certification for workers in the food service industry and for recertification at least every 10 years. Although the study was not sufficiently rigorous to evaluate existing food safety courses, data collected provided valuable insight into what issues should be emphasized in existing food safety courses and which should be targeted by future food safety initiatives.

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Microbial Survey of Selected Ontario-Grown Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Journal of Food Protection ◽

10.4315/0362-028x-70.12.2864 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 70 (12) ◽

pp. 2864-2867 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

LINDSAY ARTHUR ◽

SANDRA JONES ◽

MARTHA FABRI ◽

JOSEPH ODUMERU

Keyword(s):

Food Safety ◽

Media Coverage ◽

Microbial Contamination ◽

Fruits And Vegetables ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Fresh Market ◽

E Coli ◽

Safety Research ◽

Potential Risks ◽

Leaf Lettuce

Recent produce-related outbreaks have been receiving heightened media coverage, which has increased public concern toward the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. In response, the microbial contamination of Ontario-grown fresh fruits and vegetables was evaluated by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs during the summer of 2004. Prior to this survey, information specific to the microbial contamination of Ontario-produced fruits and vegetables was limited. This nonregulatory survey had two objectives: (i) to obtain a general microbiological profile of selected fruits and vegetables produced in Ontario and (ii) to use the information and knowledge gained from this survey to direct and support future on-farm food safety research and food safety programs to manage potential risks. In all, 1,183 samples, including muskmelon (151), scallions and green onions (173), leaf lettuce (263), organic leaf lettuce (112), head lettuce (155), parsley (127), cilantro (61), and fresh market tomatoes (141), were collected and analyzed. Samples were analyzed for Salmonella, Shigella, and generic E. coli. Enrichment cultures positive for E. coli were further assessed for verotoxigenicity. One sample each of Roma tomato and organic leaf lettuce were positive for Salmonella, with no samples yielding Shigella or verotoxigenic E. coli. The E. coli prevalence was highest in parsley (13.4%), followed by organic leaf lettuce (11.6%), leaf lettuce (6.5%), scallions (6.4%), cilantro (4.9%), muskmelon (1.3%), head lettuce (0%), and fresh market tomatoes (0%). These findings, in combination with foodborne illness data, will help target those commodities that require more focused risk mitigation efforts.

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