Food Safety Behaviors Research Articles

Food Safety Attitudes, Behaviors, and Hygiene Measures among Predominantly Low-Income Parents in Houston, Texas

Foodborne infections in the United States affect racial-ethnic minority and low-income populations at higher rates than the general population. To identify the prevalence of food safety behaviors and demographic characteristics associated with food handling practices among a susceptible, high-risk population, a cross-sectional survey was administered to 106 parents with children enrolled at two elementary schools serving predominantly low-income families in Houston, Texas. Relationships between demographic characteristics and food safety behavioral outcomes were examined using cross-tabulations and Fisher's exact test. Most respondents were female (93.4%), Hispanic, Latino, or Mexican American (94.9%), and had no previous food handling employment experience (75.0%). The primary source of food safety information reported was the Internet (32.7%), and nearly half of parents (42.7%) reported that they did not consider contamination of food with germs a serious food safety problem. Hand washing before food preparation was more common (98.0%) than before touching the refrigerator handle (66.3%), after electronic device use (55.6%), or after handling raw animal proteins (77.6%). The prevalence of fresh fruit (98.0%) and vegetable (97.9%) washing and appropriate contaminated cutting board handling (89.0%) was high among parents. Self-reported gaps in food handling behaviors identified included lack of food thermometer ownership (80.4%), use of reusable cleaning tools (71.0%), inappropriate defrosting methods (67.4%), and washing of raw poultry (86.3%), seafood (84.9%), and meat (74.7%). Hand washing after electronic device use and defrosting methods were observed to vary significantly according to demographic characteristics. Food safety education with messages targeted to specific demographic groups may be necessary to reduce the risk of foodborne disease among low-income parents and young children.

Preventing food contamination: preliminary results of a cross-sectional study among food handlers

Abstract Background More than 600 million people around the world get sick every year due to eating contaminated food, which is impressive considering that all foodborne diseases (FDs) are preventable. Contamination during food preparation by food handlers (FHs) is one of the main causes of FDs. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and behaviors of FHs related to FDs. Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted in two regions (i.e. Calabria and Sicily) of Southern Italy. Data was collected through an anonymous self-administered questionnaire designed to retrieve sociodemographic information, knowledge about food safety, and food-handling behaviors among a randomly selected sample of FHs ≥ 18 years of age. Results Findings refer to a sample of 171 respondents with a mean age of 40 years (SD ± 12.7). A vast majority (63.7%) of FHs did not know the correct procedure for hand washing according to Food & Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and 28.4% of subjects did not wash their hands after touching raw food, which constitutes a major risk of food cross-contamination. One-third of FHs were unknowledgeable that cross-contamination (e.g. using the same utensils for cooked and raw foods) could lead to FDs. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed a positive correlation (p < 0.001) among good knowledge and proper food-handling practices, such as using separate kitchen utensils to prepare cooked and raw foods and storing them in separate areas or fridges. Less than half of the sample (42.1%) reported the need for more information about FDs. Conclusions Preliminary results highlight a lack of knowledge about simple rules to avoid food cross-contamination that could negatively impact on food safety and food-handling behaviors. This study add evidence about areas where intervention are needed to reduce the occurrence of FDs. Key messages

Evaluation of the kitchen microbiome and food safety behaviors of predominantly low-income families.

Bacterial pathogens in the domestic environment present a risk to residents, particularly among susceptible populations. However, the impact of consumer demographic characteristics and food handling methods on kitchen microbiomes is not fully understood. The domestic kitchen bacterial communities of ten predominantly low-income families in Houston, TX, were assessed in conjunction with a cross-sectional food safety survey to evaluate differences in household and surface-specific microbiomes and bacterial foodborne pathogen presence. Three kitchen surfaces within each household, including the sink drain, the refrigerator handle, and the counter, were environmentally sampled and metataxonomically evaluated via targeted 16S rRNA sequencing. Disposable dish sponges were also acquired and examined. Results indicated that alpha diversity did not vary by the households, sampling locations, or demographic characteristics evaluated. Significant differences in beta diversity were observed among the bacterial communities of five pairs of households and between refrigerator handle and disposable dish sponge microbiomes. A total of 89 unique bacterial foodborne pathogens were identified across surface types. Each household contained at least one contaminated surface, and the most common bacterial foodborne pathogens identified were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. All parents reported washing their hands before meal preparation, washing fresh fruits and vegetables, and washing cutting boards with soap after use to prepare raw animal proteins. Gaps in food safety behaviors identified included a lack of serious concern for food contamination with germs and inappropriate handwashing, food handling, and cleaning behaviors. The number of unique bacterial foodborne pathogens identified within households was significantly higher among households whose respondent parent reported that they did not consider food contamination with germs to be a serious food safety problem (median: 41.0 species) compared to households whose respondent parent did consider food contamination to be a serious food safety problem (median: 3.0 species; p value = 0.0218). These results demonstrate that domestic kitchen taxonomic abundance profiles vary according to household and surface type. Data suggest that low-income consumers may be at risk of foodborne pathogen exposure from contaminated home kitchen surfaces, and that food safety attitudes may directly contribute to this hazard.

Do the Sociodemographic Factors and Body Mass Index Have an Impact on Food Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices?

It was aimed to evaluate the relation between food safety knowledge, attitude, and behavior, with some socio-demographic factors and body mass index (BMI). The study was conducted on 1647 volunteer university students (1243 females and 404 males) attending at various universities in Ankara, Turkey. The data was collected via a questionnaire applied face to face interview which consisted of totally 95 items on demographic information (15 items), food safety knowledge (40 items), food safety attitude (15 items), and food safety behavior (25 items). Weight and height of the students were measured by the researches, and BMI was calculated and evaluated using World Health Organization classification. Food safety knowledge scores (FSKS) (27.3±5.54 versus 25.1±5.64, p

Job Crafting and Burnout as Predictors of Food Safety Behaviors in the Foodservice Industry.

This study aimed to investigate whether job crafting, burnout, and work engagement predict food safety behaviors in the foodservice industry. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Cuiabá (Brazil) among foodservice workers. Four instruments were used among foodservice workers for the examination: (a) job demands and resources, (b) job satisfaction, (c) burnout, and (d) work engagement. Food safety practices were measured using a validated risk-based checklist. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis model. In this study, 22 restaurants and 302 foodservice workers were examined. It was found that the “job demands-resources” model was valid for foodservice workers, i.e., burnout was strongly predicted by job demands (β = 0.550; p < 0.001); job resources were a positive predictor of work engagement (β = 0.258; p < 0.001); and burnout was a negative predictor of work engagement (β = −0.411; p < 0.001). Food safety violations were predicted by job crafting (β = −0.125; p = 0.029) and burnout (β = 0.143; p = 0.016). The results indicate that mitigating burnout and increasing job crafting can be important supporting strategies to improve food safety behaviors.

Factors affecting consumers’ food safety behavior in Vietnam

To improve food safety interventions and policy actions, it is important to investigate factors that affect the food safety behavior of consumers in the domestic environment. This study is the result of a combination of two other studies. The Expert Study applied the Delphi method to organize responses and opinions of food safety experts in Vietnam to investigate critical factors affecting food safety behavior. The Disadvantaged People Study was implemented to investigate potential factors from the perspectives of disadvantaged people preparing meals for their families or feeding themselves. The final set of factors was compiled when both studies had been completed, and includes demographic factors, motivation factors (knowledge about causes of food-borne illness and safe food handling practices; perceived risk of food-borne illness and safe food handling practices), enabling factors (being informed with food safety guidance; availability of appropriate tools, space, and resources; and lifestyle), and maintaining factors (habits and heuristics; food preferences; and societal and social influences). Efforts to improve consumers’ food safety behavior should pay more attention to contextual factors to be in line with local norms, and address various factors preventing food-borne diseases in the domestic environment.

Evidence-based health interventions for the educational sector: Application and lessons learned from developing European food hygiene and safety teaching resources

BackgroundFoodborne illnesses have a significant global burden and can be life-threatening, but good food hygiene practice can prevent most. SafeConsume is an EU-funded, transdisciplinary project aiming to improve consumers’ food safety behaviour and reduce the burden of foodborne illness. Young people are at risk of foodborne illness and research indicates a lack of knowledge or concern about food hygiene. Educational settings provide an opportunity to influence behaviour; but for resources to be effective and implementable, they should be evidence-based and thoughtfully designed. AimTo develop educational resources to teach food hygiene and food safety to school children aged 11–18 years old, through a user-based approach, specific to the educational setting. MethodsDevelopment used a two-step process referred to as: the insight phase; and prototyping and refinement phase. This included using the findings of a needs assessment with students and educators based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) presented in earlier publications (Eley et al., 2021; Syeda et al., 2021). A user-centred approach to development was then taken, employing an iterative process of idea generation, consultation with a multidisciplinary steering group, and user testing. ResultsThe insight phase identified students' and educators’ deficiencies in knowledge and skills, and cultural and social influences on food safety behaviours. This phase, including Curriculum analysis informed student learning objectives and educator training topics. Following a round of development and consultation, a total of seven teaching resources were developed, with four educator training modules to improve knowledge and confidence of educators. ConclusionsBehavioural theory is a useful foundation for the development of school-based health interventions, which aim to positively influence students' knowledge, behaviour, and attitudes. To support educators’ uptake, materials should be aligned to the national curriculum and should consider practical factors like time and environmental factors. By working closely with stakeholders at all stages of development, barriers to use, implementation and efficacy can be identified and mitigated.

Underlying factors influencing street food vendors&amp;#8217; implementation of food safety behaviours

Underlying factors influencing street food vendors&amp;#8217; implementation of food safety behaviours

Knowledge Attitude and Practice of Food Handlers Regarding Food Safety Practices District Kohat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of food handlers regarding food safety and personnel hygiene practices among the local food handlers of District Kohat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. Methodology: The Department of Community Medicine at the KMU-Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Kohat, conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2021 and May 2022. A cross-sectional study with a sample of n=265 adults was conducted, with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% margin of error. The respondents' food safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours were evaluated using a well-designed questionnaire. Data were entered and analysed using SPSS version 26.0. Final results were tabulated and presented. Results: Out of those surveyed, 39.25% were found to have a basic understanding of the written word; 82.648% earned less than 30,000 PKR per month; 58.87% had worked for at least four years; and 67.74% were in the service industry (mostly as cooks and wait staff). In addition, 32.83 percent of those who handled the food had adequate expertise, 90.94 percent had an upbeat mentality, and 47.92 percent followed adequate procedures to ensure the safety and cleanliness of the food they handled. Conclusions: It was concluded that knowledge of food handlers was not up to the standards of food safety and personnel hygiene practices. Moreover, the attitude of food handlers was satisfactory whereas the practice was below the average satisfactory level and thus needs strategies to enhance knowledge, and to improve practices of food handlers regarding food safety to reduce food borne diseases. Keywords: Knowledge, Food Contamination, Practice, Food Handlers, Attitude, Kohat.

Factors associated with food safety behavior of members in the Village Food Security Movement Program in Bolaang Mongondow Regency, Indonesia

Background: Food safety is the aspect considered to prevent food poisoning worldwide. Food safety management is essential to prevent foodborne illness. Objective: This study aimed to determine factors associated with the food safety behavior of members in the Village Food Security Movement Program in Bolaang Mongondow Regency, Indonesia. Methods: Cross-sectional research was conducted on 100 participants through a purposive sampling technique in the last week of February 2022 with the COVID-19 protocol. Data were collected using validated questionnaires. Descriptive statistical tests, Chi-square test, and multi-logistic regression were employed for data analysis. Results: The majority of the respondents were female (65%) and 15-59 years old. The Chi-square analysis found education, knowledge, and attitude were significant variables. After adjusting to the multi-logistic regression, the poor attitude and low cost of family food consumption were associated with poor food safety behavior (p &lt;0.05). Conclusion: The most significant factors related to poor food safety behavior are the low cost of family food consumption and low attitude. The program must be appropriately arranged to prevent poor food safety behavior in the households.

Factors influencing knowledge and behaviors related to food safety during purchasing among consumers in Libya

Introduction: Libyan consumers mainly rely on purchasing food products and preparing them at home. Therefore, knowing the rules of food safety when purchasing is key to protect them from foodborne diseases. This study aims to assess food safety knowledge and behaviours during purchasing among consumers in Libya. Method: The study was carried out through the internet by Qsurvey and filling paper questionnaires by self-administration method to explore the level of food safety knowledge and practices during purchasing among consumers in Libya, from March to December 2020. Data were analyzed by SPSS. A Chi-square test was used to determine the influence of demographics on the level of knowledge and behaviours. Bivariate correlation coefficient analysis was used to determine the correlation between knowledge and behaviours scores. A p value of &lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: There was a total of 1027 consumers surveyed. A good level of food safety knowledge was found in 531(51.7%) and the level of food safety behaviours was moderate in 684(66.6%). The age and monthly income influence food safety knowledge (P&lt;0.05) while gender and age influence food safety behaviour during purchasing (P&lt;0.05). Conclusion: The level of food safety knowledge was good and the level of behaviours was only moderate. Therefore, there is a need to raise awareness of the population related to food safety.

How to influence restaurant employees’ food safety behaviour: an application of the theory of planned behavior and norm activation model

ABSTRACT Foodborne illnesses caused by food service establishments can be prevented by shaping employees’ behavior. This study examines factors influencing the food service staff’s compliance of safety procedures regarding food and hygiene at restaurants by integrating the theory of planned behavior with the norm activation model. It also investigates the moderating role of job burnout on the relationship between food safety behavior and its antecedents. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from 325 restaurant employees in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Using structural equation modeling and multiple group analysis, this study confirms that employees’ behavior regarding adoption of food safety standards is directly influenced by behavioral intention and moral norms. Subjective norm is the strongest predictor of behavioral intention and has a significant impact on moral norms. Furthermore, job burnout plays a significant moderating role by weakening the effect of behavioral intention on food safety behavior.

A Structural Equation Model Demonstrating the Relationship between Food Safety Background, Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour among Swedish Students.

Traditionally, food safety knowledge has been seen as a factor in improving food safety behaviour. However, the relationship between knowledge and behavior is complex. The aim of the present study was to investigate self-reported data from 408 university students regarding food safety background, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour using Structural Equation Model (SEM) to examine the influence of different factors on food safety behaviour. The SEM was applied to four factors derived from the data: Background, Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour. The novelty of this current investigation is the inclusion of the Background factor (genus; experience of cooking and handling different food items; experience of a food safety education course; the foremost sources of food safety knowledge). The factors were constructed from variables with sufficient factor loadings and set up in a predetermined structure confirmed to be valid in previous studies. The results, demonstrated as regression coefficients between factors, confirm that the Background factor strongly influenced Knowledge (0.842). The Knowledge factor, in turn, strongly affected Attitude (0.605), while it did not directly affect Behaviour (0.301) in the same way as Attitude. Attitude had a stronger influence on Behaviour (0.438) than Knowledge. Thus, the Attitude factor seemed to play a mediating role between Knowledge and Behaviour. This indicates that students´ attitudes towards the importance of food safety may have an impact on their food safety behavior, which should have implications for the development of food safety education. This warrants further investigation and practical development.

Dual-Path Effect of Mortality Salience Induced by COVID-19 on Food Safety Behavior in China.

During the pandemic, the mortality salience of COVID-19 has affected everyone. The public is extremely sensitive to food safety, especially cold chain food and imported food. This research is based on the terror management theory, protective motivation theory, and self-construal theory. It proposes an integrated dual-path framework to explore the different mechanisms that mortality salience has on food safety behavior. The result of three experiments verified our conjectures. First, mortality salience positively affects individuals’ food safety behavior. More importantly, we found the dual-path mechanism that underlies the effect, that is, the mediating of self-protective motivation and prosocial motivation. In addition, different self-construals make the confirmed effect clear. These findings provide implications for the government to protect public food safety and health.

Fostering safe food handling among consumers: Causal evidence on game- and video-based online interventions

We design a game-based online intervention to foster awareness of food safety and risk-reducing behavior among consumers. 1087 participants, aged 20–50 years, and additional 886 participants, aged up to 89 years, from the UK and Norway were assigned to (i) a control condition with pre- and post-survey measures of food safety beliefs and behaviors with a one-week spacing, or (ii) in addition exposed to a brief information video, or (iii) in addition played an online game. Both intervention types improved food safety beliefs to a similar extent relative to control. But only the game interventions significantly improved self-reported food safety behavior, suggesting that providing information to consumers often is not sufficient to change routinized behavior. The novel insight of our study is that repeatedly applying correct behavior in the virtual environment of the online game spills over to real-world behavior. Importantly, treatment effects are not concentrated on young people, but are consistent across age groups. • We design an online game to foster risk-reducing behavior among consumers. • We run a survey experiment with >1000 adults from the UK and Norway. • We study two treatments (online game; a video intervention) and a control condition. • Both interventions improve food safety beliefs to a similar extent relative control. • The game intervention significantly improves self-reported food safety behavior.

Does internet use improve food safety behavior among rural residents?

The rapid development of the internet has changed people's lives and daily behaviors. This paper assesses the impact of internet use on food safety behavior among rural residents by examining the case of China, which has been experiencing the rapid spread of the internet. Based on data collected from 1080 rural households in three provinces in Central China, an endogenous switching regression model and counterfactual analysis are used to evaluate the impact of internet use on the food safety behavior of rural residents and to explore the possible channels of impact. The results show that internet use can significantly improve the food safety behavior of rural residents in China, and the potential impact channels include the acquisition of food safety information and the level of food safety knowledge. This paper supplements the literature on the impacts of internet use in rural China by providing empirical evidence on the role of internet use in rural residents' food safety behaviors. This study has important implications for those designing policy to improve residents' food safety behaviors in the information age.

Food Safety Behavior Observed in Korea TVCookingShow

본 연구는 일반 시청자의 개인위생 수준 향상을 위해 TV 요리 프로그램 <냉장고를 부탁해>의 식품안전 위생행동을 개인위생 및 준비, 교차오염, 온도 및 시간 관리, 정보안내의 4가지 범주로 나누어 관찰·평가하였다. 20회의 요리 대결에서 14명의 셰프는 적절한 위생행동을 331회, 부적절한 행동을 659회 한 것으로 관찰되었다. 몇몇 셰프는 부적절한 특정 행동을 반복하였고 대부분의 셰프가 교차오염 항목에서 높은 빈도수로 부적절한 행동을 한 것이 관찰되었다. 비 대결부분인 진행자 및 기타 출연자의 부적절한 행동은 초기 45회에서 후기 5회로 크게 감소하였다. 훈련된 전문가인 셰프의 위생행동보다 다른 출연자의 변화가 크다는 점은 일반 시청자의 위생행동도 변화될 가능성이 크다는 것을 시사한다. 이에 올바른 위생 지식이 뒷받침된다면 가정 내에서 반복되는 부적절한 위생행동도 개선될 수 있을 것으로 기대되었다. 본 연구는 일반 시청자의 개인위생 수준을 향상시켜 식인성 질환을 예방하고, 개인위생에 대한 가정 중심 접근법 필요성에 대한 근거가 되며, 관련 프로그램 제작자에게는 위생행동 기준설정에 필요한 연구자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이다.

The Effects of Food Safety Training for Food Handlers on Food Safety Knowledge and Behaviors of Food Service System Workers

The Effects of Food Safety Training for Food Handlers on Food Safety Knowledge and Behaviors of Food Service System Workers

Protection Motivation Theory and consumers’ food safety behaviour in response to COVID-19

The threat of COVID-19 has altered consumers shopping behaviour and increased consumers' willingness to purchase food using online food delivery services. Consumers were more likely to practice strict hand hygiene measures and were concerned with food safety. Such behaviours were likely driven by the fear and threat of contracting COVID-19. This study aims to use Protective Motivation Theory (PMT) to investigate how COVID-19 affects food shopping and food safety behaviour. An online, cross-sectional study was conducted in Indonesia and Malaysia to determine the protective motivation to engage in three food shopping and hygiene practices such as i) Safe food shopping behaviour; ii) Hand hygiene and avoiding cross contamination; and iii) Use of online food delivery services. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman rho's correlation and binary logistic regression. A total of 1180 responses were received of which 1129 were valid. Gender was identified as a significant predictor across all food safety behaviours during COVID-19. Response efficacy and self-efficacy were significant predictors for food shopping behaviour while perceived severity significantly predicted hand hygiene practices after shopping. Age, frequency of food preparation and shopping, perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, response efficacy and self-efficacy were significant predictors for use of online food delivery services. Our findings suggest that women were more likely to engage in protective measures during food shopping, carry out hand hygiene practices after shopping and use online food delivery services during COVID-19. Participants with higher response and self-efficacy scores were more likely to shop from markets or shops with high hygiene standards while participants who perceived COVID-19 as a serious threat were more likely to clean and sanitise their hands after shopping. Participants also believed that the use of online food delivery services helps to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. However, foods should be purchased from trusted restaurants or takeaways. This is the first study to use Protection Motivation Theory to explore consumers' food shopping, hand hygiene and online food delivery practices during COVID-19.

Development, Validation, and Testing of a Self-Assessment Tool to Measure Food Safety Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors in Health Care Food Service Operations

The neutropenic diet has long been a dietary prescription for immunocompromised patients. However, its effectiveness and consistency have been constantly challenged. Researchers and health care policymakers call for liberalization of the neutropenic diet, which shifts risk management strategies from excluding "high-risk" food items to focus on safe food handling. The responsibility of food safety falls on food service workers in a health care setting. The objective of the present study was to develop and conduct psychometric testing to determine the validity and reliability of a self-assessment survey instrument tool targeting beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of health care food service workers regarding safe food handling practices. This survey validation study was conducted in four phases. First, the tool was developed based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. After the initial draft, the survey was tested to establish face validity and test-retest reliability to measure temporal stability. The 40-item survey was then pilot tested to assess internal consistency and construct validity. Pilot testing was conducted over a 16-month period on 211 health care food service workers across six acute care hospitals that serve immunocompromised people. The original survey comprised 46 items. Six items were removed due to low content validity scores and temporal instability. Pilot testing revealed acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.79). The linear regression model was a good fit (P ≤ 0.0001) after assumptions were tested and met to predict behavior from attitude. A reliable and valid self-assessment survey instrument tool was developed for use in a health care food service operation. Results of this tool can help organizations pinpoint areas in which they can improve food safety practices of food service workers who serve immunocompromised people.