The Safe Food Handling for Occasional Quantity Cooks Curriculum

Abstract

The Safe Food Handling for Occasional Quantity Cooks curriculum was developed as an educational program for volunteer quantity cooks who lack safe food-handling knowledge. The objectives of this study were to determine the knowledge gain of educators and volunteer quantity cooks and the behavior change of participants after program attendance. Knowledge was assessed both pre- and postprogram, and the differences in scores of educators and volunteer quantity cooks were determined. A behavior checklist was used to monitor self-declared food-handling behavior at the time of attendance and 3 months after participation. Participants in the program improved their knowledge or behavior scores, although statistical significance was not attained in all cases. Results from this pilot study indicate that the curriculum has the potential to help achieve the goal of preventing foodborne illness in volunteer, temporary, or seasonal quantity food production situations. The long-term impact of the curriculum needs to be assessed.