scholarly journals Investigating child care food safety culture and barriers & motivators to safe food handling practices

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Reynolds
2010 ◽  
Vol 73 (11) ◽  
pp. 2065-2071 ◽  
Author(s):  
JASON D. ELLIS ◽  
SUSAN W. ARENDT ◽  
CATHERINE H. STROHBEHN ◽  
JANELL MEYER ◽  
PAOLA PAEZ

Food safety training has been the primary avenue for ensuring food workers are performing proper food handling practices and thus, serving safe food. Yet, knowledge of safe food handling practices does not necessarily result in actual performance of these practices. This research identified participating food service employees' level of agreement with four factors of motivation (internal motivations, communication, reward-punishment, and resources) and determined if respondents with different demographic characteristics reported different motivating factors. Data were collected from 311 food service employees who did not have any supervisory responsibilities. Intrinsic motivation agreement scores were consistently the highest of all four motivational factors evaluated and did not differ across any of the demographic characteristics considered. In contrast, motivation agreement scores for communication, reward-punishment, and resources did differ based on respondents' gender, age, place of employment, job status, food service experience, completion of food handler course, or possession of a food safety certification. In general, respondents agreed that these motivation factors influenced their likelihood to perform various safe food handling procedures. This research begins to illustrate how employees' demographic characteristics influence their responses to various motivators, helping to clarify the complex situation of ensuring safe food in retail establishments. Future research into why employee willingness to perform varies more for extrinsic motivation than for intrinsic motivation could assist food service managers in structuring employee development programs and the work environment, in a manner that aids in improving external motivation (communication, reward-punishment, and resources) and capitalizing on internal motivation.


2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 1666-1672 ◽  
Author(s):  
LYDIA C. MEDEIROS ◽  
GANG CHEN ◽  
VIRGINIA N. HILLERS ◽  
PATRICIA A. KENDALL

Foodborne infections pose a threat to cancer patients who are immunocompromised because of disease or medical therapy. Comprehensive food safety education can raise cancer patients' awareness of risk for foodborne infections and encourage risk-reducing behavior. The objectives of this study were to assess food safety informational needs of cancer patients and to determine factors that may influence prospective educational interventions that foster risk-reducing behaviors. Focus groups with cancer patients were formed, and interviews with health professionals working with cancer patients were conducted. Findings were used to develop three educational resource prototypes for cancer patients. Information from two additional focus groups and interviews with cancer patients was used to evaluate the prototypes before revision and finalization. There was a general awareness among focus group participants that chemotherapy increased their susceptibility to foodborne illness and infections. Participants had a basic knowledge of safe food handling practices but did not necessarily link their awareness of increased susceptibility for infection with their routine food handling practices. When informed of specific high-risk foods, there was skepticism about compliance due to disbelief of the risk, personal preferences for the high-risk food, and lack of information about how to use the recommendation. Most of the health care providers agreed that food safety information should be provided by dietitians, physicians, and nurses, but physicians stated they had little time to do so. Cancer patients expressed positive attitudes toward the educational resource prototypes and willingness to follow the food safety recommendations provided.


EDIS ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda B. Bobroff ◽  
Jennifer Hillan

Older adults are at increased risk for foodborne illness. To help reduce your risk, follow safe food handling practices at home. How does your kitchen measure up? This 3-page fact sheet was written by Linda B. Bobroff and Jennifer Hillan and published by the UF Department of Family Youth and Community Sciences, October 2013. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy926


Author(s):  
V. Krishnasree ◽  
P. V. Nethra ◽  
J. Dheeksha ◽  
M.S. Madumitha ◽  
R. Vidyaeswari ◽  
...  

Street food vending units are on a rise in the country as they offer less expensive and a variety of delicacies to the consumer. It also supports the economy of the country as street foods are gathering a lot of attention through food tourism as well. On the other hand, a large number of population is thriving on it as a means of livelihood. However, the safety and hygienic practices followed in these food vending system requires large reforms. In this regard, the present study was undertaken to understand the awareness of street food handlers on food safety and to determine the microbial contamination of the street foods. The current investigation revealed that even though, majority of the food vendors were aware of the safe food handling practices, it was not followed appropriately during food preparation which resulted in higher levels of microbial contamination in their produce. The study also throws light on the methods that could achieve a sustainable food safety in the street food vending systems in the country.


2007 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 1917-1926 ◽  
Author(s):  
CAROL BYRD-BREDBENNER ◽  
JACLYN MAURER ◽  
VIRGINIA WHEATLEY ◽  
DONALD SCHAFFNER ◽  
CHRISTINE BRUHN ◽  
...  

With limited opportunities to learn safe food handling via observation, many young adults lack the knowledge needed to keep them safe from foodborne disease. It is important to reach young adults with food safety education because of their current and future roles as caregivers. With a nationwide online survey, the demographic characteristics, self-reported food handling and consumption behaviors, food safety beliefs, locus of control, self-efficacy, stage of change, and knowledge of young adults with education beyond high school (n = 4,343) were assessed. Young adults (mean age, 19.92 ± 1.67 SD) who participated were mainly female, white, never married, and freshmen or sophomores. Participants correctly answered 60% of the knowledge questions and were most knowledgeable about groups at greatest risk for foodborne disease and least knowledgeable about common food sources of foodborne disease pathogens. They reported less than optimal levels of safe food handling practices. Young adults generally had a limited intake of foods that increase the risk of foodborne disease, positive food safety beliefs, an internal food safety locus of control, and confidence in their ability to handle food safely, and they were contemplating an improvement in, or preparing to improve, their food handling practices. Females significantly outperformed males on nearly all study measures. Future food safety educational efforts should focus on increasing knowledge and propelling young adults into the action stage of safe food handling, especially males. Efforts to improve knowledge and, ultimately, food safety behaviors are essential to safeguard the health of these young adults and enable them to fulfill the role of protecting the health of their future families.


Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1560
Author(s):  
Khomotso J. Marutha ◽  
Paul K. Chelule

Street food vending is a common business practice in most South African cities. However, street vended foods may be a source of foodborne illnesses if their handling is not well regulated and executed. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and practices regarding food safety by street food vendors in the Polokwane central business district. This was a quantitative descriptive study where a structured questionnaire was used to collect self-reported data from street food vendors. A checklist was used to collect observed data from the vending site on vendor practices and status of the vending environment. A total of 312 vendors participated in the study, most being young females aged below 40 years (62%), single (51.2%) with less than six years of trade experience (58.3%). Although the level of knowledge was high, safe food handling practices were mostly inadequate. Most vendors operated their businesses in the open air and tents (66.2%). Vending experience significantly correlated with safe food handling practices (p < 0.05). It is significantly riskier to sell cooked rather than uncooked food in the street. Lack of resources like water and a healthy environment negatively affected food handling practices. Health promotion on food safety is recommended for street vendors.


Food Control ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 108361
Author(s):  
Denise van Rijen ◽  
Enrique Mergelsberg ◽  
Gill ten Hoor ◽  
Barbara Mullan

2016 ◽  
Vol 145 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. CHAI ◽  
D. COLE ◽  
A. NISLER ◽  
B. E. MAHON

SUMMARYAs poultry consumption continues to increase worldwide, and as the United States accounts for about one-third of all poultry exports globally, understanding factors leading to poultry-associated foodborne outbreaks in the United States has important implications for food safety. We analysed outbreaks reported to the United States’ Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System from 1998 to 2012 in which the implicated food or ingredient could be assigned to one food category. Of 1114 outbreaks, poultry was associated with 279 (25%), accounting for the highest number of outbreaks, illnesses, and hospitalizations, and the second highest number of deaths. Of the 149 poultry-associated outbreaks caused by a confirmed pathogen, Salmonella enterica (43%) and Clostridium perfringens (26%) were the most common pathogens. Restaurants were the most commonly reported location of food preparation (37% of poultry-associated outbreaks), followed by private homes (25%), and catering facilities (13%). The most commonly reported factors contributing to poultry-associated outbreaks were food-handling errors (64%) and inadequate cooking (53%). Effective measures to reduce poultry contamination, promote safe food-handling practices, and ensure food handlers do not work while ill could reduce poultry-associated outbreaks and illnesses.


2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 06-14
Author(s):  
Rajesh Jeewon ◽  
Seerauj Nouvishika ◽  
Dauharry Kumar ◽  
Ahinsa Jheelan-Ramchandur

Foodborne diseases have always been linked to numerous food manufacturing elements and home practices of purchasers and the latter does play a critical role in disease prevention. Consumers have the ultimate responsibility for handling and storing food safely and take adequate safety precautions when preparing and consuming food at home to avoid health related problems associated with microbial hazards. The objectives of this survey were to evaluate current knowledge of consumers pertaining to food hygiene and food safety concepts as well as to assess food handling practices that residents adopt to reduce microbial hazards in the domestic environment. A sample of 300 Mauritian residents were selected to participate in a questionnaire based survey. Questions in the questionnaire were based on hygienic practices with respect to food handling, food safety and personal hygiene. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) was used to analyze the results and Microsoft excel was used to generate pie charts, and bar charts. The results obtained demonstrated that the level of knowledge pertaining to food safety and food hygiene and how to reduce microbial hazards were above average. Majority of the residents were knowledgeable about major aspects related to proper food handling behaviors but need more education pertaining to the use of thermometers to check for food temperature. The nature of the risk, personal and environmental factors (psychological, demographic and socio-economic factors, cultural and economic) were found to be the factors affecting food safety behaviors among consumers. Consumers can become more motivated to improve their behaviors if they are made aware of the impact of risky practices. Although, most consumers had basic knowledge pertaining to food safety, food hygiene and food handling practices, it is important to continually inform consumers about safe food handling practices through various channels.


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