A Video Study of Australian Domestic Food-Handling Practices

1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 1285-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. STEPHEN JAY ◽  
DERIO COMAR ◽  
LACHLAN D. GOVENLOCK
Keyword(s):  
Hand Washing ◽  
Food Preparation ◽  
Video Observation ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Video Study ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
The Face ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Food Handling Practices

Poor food-handling and hygiene practices in domestic kitchens are thought to be the cause of a significant amount of foodborne illness. Food-handling practices were studied by video observation in 40 home kitchens in Melbourne, Australia. Participant households included those of single people, couples, and families from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. The kitchens were continuously video monitored for 1 or 2 weeks during 1997 and 1998. Infrequent hand washing; poor hand-washing technique; lack of hand washing prior to food preparation; inadequate cleaning of kitchen surfaces; involvement of pets in the kitchen; touching of the face, mouth, nose, and/or hair during food preparation; and lack of separate hand and dish towels were the most common unhygienic practices observed. Prior to video surveillance, participant households answered a food-safety questionnaire that related to preparation and handling of food. These answers were contrasted with the actual practices observed in each household. There was a significant variance between stated (answers provided in response to the questionnaire) and observed (via video monitoring) food-handling and hygiene practices. The results of this study raise concerns about consumer food-handling and hygiene practices in Australian domestic kitchens. A continuous and increased effort in the education of the public in the area of hygienic food preparation is indicated.

Consumer Food Handling in the Home: A Review of Food Safety Studies

2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 130-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELIZABETH C. REDMOND ◽  
CHRISTOPHER J. GRIFFITH
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Preparation ◽  
Foodborne Disease ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Safety Studies ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Food Handling Practices ◽  
Domestic Food

Epidemiological data from Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand indicate that a substantial proportion of foodborne disease is attributable to improper food preparation practices in consumers' homes. International concern about consumer food safety has prompted considerable research to evaluate domestic food-handling practices. The majority of consumer food safety studies in the last decade have been conducted in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (48%) and in the United States (42%). Surveys (questionnaires and interviews), the most frequent means of data collection, were used in 75% of the reviewed studies. Focus groups and observational studies have also been used. One consumer food safety study examined the relationship between pathogenic microbial contamination from raw chicken and observed food-handling behaviors, and the results of this study indicated extensive Campylobacter cross-contamination during food preparation sessions. Limited information about consumers' attitudes and intentions with regard to safe food-handling behaviors has been obtained, although a substantial amount of information about consumer knowledge and self-reported practices is available. Observation studies suggest that substantial numbers of consumers frequently implement unsafe food-handling practices. Knowledge, attitudes, intentions, and self-reported practices did not correspond to observed behaviors, suggesting that observational studies provide a more realistic indication of the food hygiene actions actually used in domestic food preparation. An improvement in consumer food-handling behavior is likely to reduce the risk and incidence of foodborne disease. The need for the development and implementation of food safety education strategies to improve specific food safety behaviors is reviewed in this paper.

Development of Safe Food Handling Guidelines for Korean Consumers

2015 ◽  
Vol 78 (8) ◽  
pp. 1541-1546 ◽  
Author(s):  
HEE-JIN KANG ◽  
MIN-WOO LEE ◽  
IN-KYEONG HWANG ◽  
JEONG-WEON KIM
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Central Area ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Korean Parents ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Safe Food ◽  
Food Handling Practices

The purpose of this study was to develop guidelines for Korean consumers with regard to safe food handling practices at home by identifying current food handling issues. Korean consumers' behaviors regarding their safe food handling were identified via survey questionnaires that included items on individual hygiene practices, prepreparation steps when cooking, the cooking process, and the storage of leftover foods. The subjects were 417 Korean parents with elementary school children living in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province in the central area of Korea. The survey results revealed gaps between the knowledge or practices of Korean consumers and scientific evidence pertaining to safe food handling practices. Based on these findings, a leaflet on safe food handling guidelines was developed in accordance with Korean food culture. These guidelines suggest personal hygiene practices as well as fundamental principles and procedures for safe food handling from the stage of food purchase to that of keeping leftover dishes. A pilot application study with 50 consumers revealed that the guidelines effectively improved Korean consumers' safe food handling practices, suggesting that they can serve as practical educational material suitable for Korean consumers.

scholarly journals Contribution of Foods and Poor Food-Handling Practices to the Burden of Foodborne Infectious Diseases in France

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1644
Author(s):  
Jean-Christophe Augustin ◽  
Pauline Kooh ◽  
Thomas Bayeux ◽  
Laurent Guillier ◽  
Thierry Meyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Preparation ◽  
Cross Contamination ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Preparation Step ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Food Handling Practices ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Campylobacter Spp ◽  
Initial Contamination

The foodborne disease burden (FBDB) related to 26 major biological hazards in France was attributed to foods and poor food-handling practices at the final food preparation step, in order to develop effective intervention strategies, especially food safety campaigns. Campylobacter spp. and non-typhoidal Salmonella accounted for more than 60% of the FBDB. Approximately 30% of the FBDB were attributed to 11 other hazards including bacteria, viruses and parasites. Meats were estimated as the main contributing food category causing (50–69%) (CI90) of the FBDB with (33–44%), (9–21%), (4–20%) (CI90) of the FBDB for poultry, pork and beef, respectively. Dairy products, eggs, raw produce and complex foods caused each approximately (5–20%) (CI90) of the FBDB. When foods are contaminated before the final preparation step, we estimated that inadequate cooking, cross-contamination and inadequate storage contribute for (19–49%), (7–34%) and (9–23%) (CI90) of the FBDB, respectively; (15–33%) (CI90) of the FBDB were attributed to the initial contamination of ready-to-eat foods—without any contribution from final food handlers. The thorough implementation of good hygienic practices (GHPs) at the final food preparation step could potentially reduce the FBDB by (67–85%) (CI90) (mainly with the prevention of cross-contamination and adequate cooking and storage).

Consumer Knowledge of Foodborne Microbial Hazards and Food-Handling Practices

1996 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
SEAN F. ALTEKRUSE ◽  
DEBRA A. STREET ◽  
SARA B. FEIN ◽  
ALAN S. LEVY
Keyword(s):  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Salmonella Spp ◽  
Raw Meat ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Influence Of Food ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Safe Food ◽  
Food Handling Practices ◽  
Cutting Boards

A national telephone survey was conducted of 1,620 randomly selected U.S. residents who spoke English, were at least 18 years old, and resided in households with kitchen facilities. Respondents were interviewed about their recognition of foodborne pathogens, foods at risk for transmitting infection, knowledge of safe food handling, and food-handling practices. One-third of the respondents who prepared meals reported unsafe food hygiene practices: e.g., they did not wash hands or take precautions to prevent cross-contamination from raw meat. Unsafe practices were reported more often by men, adults 18 to 29 years of age, and occasional food preparers than by women, persons 30 years old or older, and frequent food preparers. Respondents who identified a food vehicle for Salmonella spp. were more likely to report washing their hands and cleaning cutting boards after preparing raw meat and poultry. The results raise concerns about consumer food-handling practices. The influence of food safety training, food-handling experience, and age on food-handling practices should be studied further. Awareness of a food vehicle for Salmonella spp., for example, may indicate knowledge of the etiology of foodborne disease that promotes safe food handling. Understanding the factors associated with safe food handling will assist in development of effective safe-food instruction programs.

Assessment of Food Safety Knowledge, Self-Reported Practices, and Microbiological Hand Hygiene Levels of Produce Handlers in Qatar

2019 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 561-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
ISRAA EL-NEMR ◽  
MOHANAD MUSHTAHA ◽  
PATRICK IRUNGU ◽  
HAMMAD ASIM ◽  
PATRICK TANG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Different Origins ◽  
Safety Knowledge ◽  
Food Handling Practices

ABSTRACT Food handling across the custody chain from production to consumption is one of the most important stages in which microbes can enter food from infected food handlers or due to cross-contamination. The wholesale produce market (WSPM), located in Doha, Qatar, is a good example of a custody chain in which a large amount of produce from different origins are purchased daily by restaurants, retailers, and individuals. However, no information is available on the food handling practices applied at the WSPM. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the self-reported hygiene practices and food safety knowledge of produce handlers at the WSPM as a baseline for food safety outreach. One hundred twenty produce handlers participated in this study to complete a structured questionnaire assessing food safety knowledge and hygiene practices. In addition, survey respondents' hands were swabbed to determine microbiological hand hygiene levels. Survey results revealed that none of the produce handlers had food safety knowledge or received training on safe produce handling practices. The median age group was 31 to 40 years, and over 57% had less than high school education. The level of self-reported knowledge on “food safety practices” displayed by produce handlers was not influenced by demographically based differences (e.g., age and years of experience), except education level. Note that 77% of produce handlers claimed to wash their hands four times per day; however, this good self-reported practice was not reflected in the microbial assessment of produce handlers' hands that had total aerobic and coliform counts ≥2 log CFU/cm2. Bacillus circulans (40%), Staphylococcus sciuri (25%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (17%) were the most common bacteria isolated from produce handlers' hands. These findings may help public health agencies in Qatar establish guidelines for compulsory on-site training for produce handlers to improve knowledge on safe produce handling. HIGHLIGHTS

scholarly journals Improving safe food-handling practices by increasing self-efficacy

Food Control ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 108361
Author(s):  
Denise van Rijen ◽  
Enrique Mergelsberg ◽  
Gill ten Hoor ◽  
Barbara Mullan
Keyword(s):  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Safe Food ◽  
Food Handling Practices

scholarly journals Simulating Cross-Contamination of Cooked Pork with Salmonella enterica from Raw Pork through Home Kitchen Preparation in Vietnam

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinh Dang-Xuan ◽  
Hung Nguyen-Viet ◽  
Phuc Pham-Duc ◽  
Delia Grace ◽  
Fred Unger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Cross Contamination ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Transfer Rates ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Food Handling Practices ◽  
Cutting Boards ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Pork Consumption

Pork is the most commonly consumed meat in Vietnam, and Salmonella enterica is a common contaminant. This study aimed to assess potential S. enterica cross-contamination between raw and cooked pork in Vietnamese households. Different scenarios for cross-contamination were constructed based on a household survey of pork handling practices (416 households). Overall, 71% of people used the same knife and cutting board for both raw and cooked pork; however, all washed their hands and utensils between handling raw and cooked pork. The different scenarios were experimentally tested. First, S. enterica was inoculated on raw pork and surfaces (hands, knives and cutting boards); next, water used for washing and pork were sampled to identify the presence and concentration of S. enterica during different scenarios of food preparation. Bootstrapping techniques were applied to simulate transfer rates of S. enterica cross-contamination. No cross-contamination to cooked pork was observed in the scenario of using the same hands with new cutting boards and knives. The probability of re-contamination in the scenarios involving re-using the cutting board after washing was significantly higher compared to the scenarios which used a new cutting board. Stochastic simulation found a high risk of cross-contamination from raw to cooked pork when the same hands, knives and cutting boards were used for handling raw and cooked pork (78%); when the same cutting board but a different knife was used, cross-contamination was still high (67%). Cross-contamination between was not seen when different cutting boards and knives were used for cutting raw and cooked pork. This study provided an insight into cross-contamination of S. enterica, given common food handling practices in Vietnamese households and can be used for risk assessment of pork consumption.

scholarly journals Poultry: the most common food in outbreaks with known pathogens, United States, 1998–2012

2016 ◽  
Vol 145 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. CHAI ◽  
D. COLE ◽  
A. NISLER ◽  
B. E. MAHON
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Handlers ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Foodborne Outbreaks ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Safe Food ◽  
Private Homes ◽  
Food Handling Practices

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.

scholarly journals An Investigation Into How Far Do Residents Adopt Measures to Reduce Microbial Hazards During Food Handling

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 06-14
Author(s):  
Rajesh Jeewon ◽  
Seerauj Nouvishika ◽  
Dauharry Kumar ◽  
Ahinsa Jheelan-Ramchandur
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Personal Hygiene ◽  
Food Hygiene ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Food Handling Practices ◽  
The Impact

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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