Food Safety Education Program Research Articles

Food safety knowledge and practices among Saudi women

The present cross sectional study was conducted on 811 Saudi women to evaluate their food safety knowledge and practices and explore factors affecting them. They reported better food safety practices than knowledge in overall food safety and all parameters except cooking. Personal hygiene was the parameter where they reported higher mean knowledge and practice (63.4% and 73.8%; respectively) with the lowest mean knowledge score in utensils and equipment (49.8%) whereas the lowest mean practice (60.2%) was in cooking. Saudi women with higher studies and those with 60 years and more showed higher mean knowledge and practice score in overall food safety and most parameters than those in other educational levels or age groups with significant variations (P < 0.05) among different educational levels except in practicing personal hygiene. Working women showed higher mean knowledge and practice than non working in all parameters with significant variation between their mean knowledge scores except in personal hygiene. Launching a food safety education program and repeating it at specific intervals is recommended.

위생순회방문지도를 통한 어린이 급식소 조리원 대상 위생 지식의 변화 평가

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a visiting inspection and knowledge-based food safety education program for cooks in child care facilities provided by the Center for Children's Foodservice Management (CCFSM). The research was conducted among cooks at 91 child care facilities; 56 existing facilities had been enrolled since 2011 and provided with the inspection and education program for 2 years and 35 new facilities were enrolled in 2012 and provided with the program for 1 year. The food safety knowledge of the cooks of the two groups were compared by the presence and duration of inspection and education programs provided by the CCFSM. The total mean score for food safety knowledge was <TEX>$18.48{\pm}3.09$</TEX>, with a group score of <TEX>$19.34{\pm}2.68$</TEX> for the existing facilities and <TEX>$17.11{\pm}3.25$</TEX> for the new facilities (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between groups in the knowledge of the personal sanitation. According to a post-test for food safety knowledge in the two groups after the completion of a one-year program on food safety by CCFSM, the mean score of food safety knowledge increased by 2.92 to 20.03 for cooks of the new facilities and both groups had significantly higher mean scores than pre-test (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean score of each group by post-test. Thus, the one-year continuous program by CCFSM was effective in improving food safety knowledge of the cooks of the child care facilities.

Effectiveness on the education and food safety programs among senior primary students in 2 counties from west China-a cluster randomized trial

To evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition and food safety educational programs on primary students from grade 4 to 6 in impoverished areas of Western China, under a school-based cluster-randomized trial. Twelve primary schools were selected from 2 impoverished counties in West China and assigned to intervention or control groups, randomly, with 6 schools in each group. Self-rating knowledge, attitude and practice questionnaires were used at both baseline and final stages. Textbooks and supportive materials were designed according to the characteristics of baseline data. All students in the intervention group were treated with targeted nutrition and food safety lectures of 0.5 hour per week for 2 semesters. Generalized linear mixed effects model was applied to fit the random effects on individual and clusters as well as to fit the fixed effect of the programs. Three hundred seventy-eight students from grade 4 to 6 were randomly selected at the baseline study and the differences of scores on knowledge, attitude and practice between the 2 groups were statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). No cluster was lost during the trial. In the final investigation, 478 students were randomly selected at the individual level. Scores on knowledge, attitude and practice among students in the intervention group were significantly higher, when comparing to the control group (P < 0.01). At the cluster level, more schools in the intervention group showed significant changes on knowledge and practice, yet the change in attitude was less obvious. Data from the mixed-effects model demonstrated that the program served as an influential factor on scores related to knowledge after the intervention(P = 0.015)but did not affect the scores on related attitude or practice (P > 0.05). Lectures seemed to have improved the cognition of nutrition and food safety among primary students from grade 4 to 6. However, long-term observation and larger sample size were needed to evaluate the changes on attitude and practice among the students.

Food Science Education Publications and Websites

Food Science Education Publications and Websites

대구지역 초등학교 4, 5학년 대상 어린이 식생활 안전관리 교육 프로그램 개발 및 효과 평가

This study was conducted on 4th and 5th grade elementary school students in Daegu, Korea for the purpose of promoting health and proper dietary habits. A children food safety education program was developed and its effects evaluated on 4th and 5th graders (3,932 students for 4th year, 4,438 students for 5th year) at 46 elementary schools, which were under the jurisdiction of the four educational bureaus of Daegu city. Education was conducted in accordance with an education design plan, of which there were two goals, including know the contents of `special act on children`s dietary life safety management` and `practice proper hand-washing`. `Special act on children`s dietary life safety management` was explained, and the education curriculum included proper hand-washing for prevention of food poisoning, quality certification mark on children`s favorite foods, harmful foods such as unsanitary and adulterated foods, and green food zone. Flash songs, PowerPoint, `glitter burger` notice note, and banner were used as education media. It was found that the awareness level of items related to `special act on children`s dietary life safety management` increased significantly after education (p

Development of Food Safety and Nutrition Education Contents for the Elderly - by Focus Group Interview and Delphi Technique -

Our society is aging rapidly, and the number of elderly people who are in charge of purchasing and preparing foods at home is increasing. However, most the elderly have difficulty managing nutrition and food safety by themselves. The purpose of this study was to develop the necessary knowledge, through focus group interview and Delphi technique to establish a food safety and nutrition education program. The diet and educational needs of the elderly were surveyed through FGI. The education topics were decided by the Delphi technique. The education program consisted of a five week program, and the topics taught were ‘Dietary Change for Healthy Life’, ‘Prevention of Food Poisoning in Everyday Life’, ‘Safe Food Handling for my Health’, ‘Healthy Dietary Life to Prevent Chronic Disease’, and ‘Safety! Nutrition! Healthy Dietary Life’. This education program was designed to decrease the perceived barriers, and to increase the perceived interests and the sense of self-efficacy. Education program materials, lesson plans, slides, handouts, videos, leaflets, and booklets were developed. Based on the results, the contents of the food safety guideline leaflets for the elderly were decided as the following: (1) wash your hands in the correct way; (2) select safe food; (3) cook foods safely; (4) keep foods safely; (5) keep kitchen utensils clean. In conclusion, if advanced education programs are implemented and delivered continuously in locations such as health centers and community welfare centers, those will contribute significantly to enhance the perception of food safety and to change the desirable dietary behavior of the elderly. (Korean J Community Nutr 17(2) : 167~181, 2012)

Food safety knowledge and practices among college female students in north of Jordan

Young adults have inadequate knowledge about measures needed to prevent foodborne illnesses. The objectives of this study were to assess the level of food safety knowledge and to investigate the association between the level of food safety knowledge and the socio-demographic and academic variables among college female students staying at dorms in north of Jordan. Information concerning socio-demographic and academic characteristics and food safety knowledge were collected using self-administered questionnaire. Food safety questions included 5 major scales that covered key food safety concepts. A total of 867 female students participated in the study (mean age = 20.07 ± 1.81 years). The overall passing percentage of food safety knowledge was 33.9%. Students were most knowledgeable about prevention of cross contamination and disinfection procedures and had the most difficulties with items related to cooking responsibilities and with food sources of foodborne pathogens. Chi-square results revealed that students who were seniors and in majors related to health sciences, always prepared foods by themselves, reported that they had excellent or very good food safety knowledge, ate out 3 times or less from restaurants, and previously got food poisoning were more likely to pass food safety knowledge questions ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, improving students’ knowledge about food safety is an issue that should be taken in consideration; therefore there is a need for developing food safety educational programs that cover key food safety concepts. The school and university setting would be an effective place to reach and teach the young with food safety concepts.

Foodborne illness: is it on the rise?

Foodborne illness is a serious public health threat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 76 million foodborne illnesses, including 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, occur in the United States each year. Two recently published Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) reports showed that Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shigella, Cryptosporidium, and Shiga toxin Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 continue to be leading causes of both the number and incidence of laboratory-confirmed foodborne infections in the United States. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), foodborne illness costs the US economy $10-83 billion per year. Recent large foodborne outbreaks have led to claims that the number of foodborne disease outbreaks and concomitant illnesses has increased in recent years. However, a comparison of data from the CDC showed very little change in the incidence of foodborne illness caused by common pathogens between 2008 and the preceding 3 years (2005-2007). Nevertheless, despite intensified prevention efforts, foodborne illness remains a persistent problem in the United States. Food can become contaminated at any point in the farm-to-table continuum, as well as in consumers' own kitchens. Therefore, foodborne illness risk reduction and control interventions must be implemented at every step throughout the food preparation process, from farm to table. In addition, more effective food safety education programs for foodhandlers and consumers are needed. Strategies should take into account food safety-related trends including large-scale production and wide distribution of food, globalization of the food supply, eating outside of the home, emergence of new pathogens, and growing population of at-risk consumers.

Food Safety Education Using an Interactive Multimedia Kiosk in a WIC Setting: Correlates of Client Satisfaction and Practical Issues

Objective To assess acceptability of food safety education delivered by interactive multimedia (IMM) in a Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC) clinic. Methods Female clients or caregivers (n=176) completed the food-handling survey; then an IMM food safety education program on a computer kiosk. Satisfaction with program, participant demographics, and change in food-handling behavior were assessed by univariate analyses. Results Over 90% of the participants enjoyed the kiosk, and most (87.5%) reported using computers a lot. Compared with participants with education beyond high school, participants with less education were more likely to report enjoying the kiosk (98.2% vs 88.1%, P = .007), preferred learning with the kiosk (91.7% vs 79.1%, P = .02), and would like to learn about other topics using IMM (95.4% vs 86.6%, P = .04). Conclusions and Implications Food safety education delivered by IMM was well accepted by inner-city WIC clinic clients, including those with less education.

FOOD SAFETY KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF CONSUMERS OF VARIOUS FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS

ABSTRACT In the present study, food safety knowledge and attitude of 300 consumers from nine different categories of food service establishments (FSEs) were assessed. Results revealed that most consumers (60%) eating at various FSEs were young, in the age group of 18–35 years. Some of the consumers could identify the carriers for foodborne diseases such as cholera, food poisoning and jaundice, but most of them did not know about the carriers of typhoid, gastroenteritis and amebiosis. Most of the consumers received information on food safety from family and friends. A positive association was seen between education of consumers and frequency of receiving information from various sources such as magazines, TV/radio, posters/hoardings, newspapers, school/colleges, health workers and family/friends. Most consumers had a positive attitude toward food hygiene, and they believed in punishing street food vendors who violated the food safety norms. Most consumers believed that government intervention would help in improving the quality of street foods. A lot of better‐educated food handlers believed that adherence to norms on the personal hygiene of the food handler should be made compulsory, and that training of persons in street food service is essential to ensure quality of food and food safety. In conclusion, various sources of information should be used to increase consumer awareness on food safety. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSIn the present study, situational analysis was conducted to obtain data on food safety knowledge and attitude of consumers. Results indicated that although some of the consumers could identify the carriers for foodborne diseases, such as cholera, food poisoning and jaundice, most of them did not know about the carriers of typhoid, gastroenteritis and amebiosis. Thus, efforts should be made to educate consumers about the relation between food and diseases and the importance of making proper food choices for consumption. Most consumers had a positive attitude toward food safety and believed government intervention would help in improving the quality of street foods. Such data can form the basis for seeking the attention of government to undertake measures to improve the quality of foods served at various food outlets. Also, it was found that very few consumers received information on food safety from various sources like magazines, TV/radio, posters, newspapers, health workers, nongovernment organizations, etc. This calls for attention of food safety educators to use a variety of audio‐visual aids to spread the messages on food safety. Such area‐specific data on consumers' knowledge on food safety can assist in developing food safety education programs.

Food Safety Education Using Music Parodies

ABSTRACT: Musical parodies of contemporary songs with their lyrics altered to address current food safety issues were incorporated into a variety of food safety educational programs and the effectiveness of the music was evaluated by semiquantitative and qualitative measures. Audiences receiving the music‐enriched curricula included school foodservice supervisors, school foodservice managers, culinary arts instructors, culinary arts students, Family and Consumer Sciences teachers, and youth aged 8 to 12 y and studies were conducted in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Delaware. Among school foodservice supervisors, school foodservice managers, and culinary arts students, most participants were able to recall the main points of each song that was introduced in the curriculum. The culinary arts students were less likely to recall the main points of each song than were the other 2 groups, possibly because of the lack of prior knowledge of food safety practices as well as a lack of preference for the style of songs used. Family and Consumer Sciences teachers were enthusiastic about the use of the music but also identified potential barriers to the successful use of the music, due to the potential lack of appropriate audiovisual equipment, a lack of skills in using such equipment, and time constraints for the use of music in curricula due to the strong emphasis on end of year testing. Participants in the summer youth groups demonstrated significant increases between pre‐ and posttest examinations of safe food handling behaviors and most were able to quote lines or phrases from the songs.

가정배달 노인급식 수혜자의 위생지식 및 가정에서의 위생관리 습관

본 연구의 목적은 가정배달 노인급식 수혜자의 위생지식수준과 가정에서의 위생관리 수행도를 조사하는 것으로 서울지역에서 가정배달 노인급식서비스를 제공하는 노인복지관과 종합사회복지관 2곳을 선정하고 수혜자를 무작위로 선정하여 설문조사를 실시하였다. 총 120명을 선정하였고 조사에 참여한 97명의 응답을 자료 분석에 이용하였다. 응답자의 대부분은 여성이었고, 70세 이상이었으며, 초등학교 졸업이하의 학력을 보였다. 절반가량이 혼자 살고 있었고, 여러가지 만성질환으로 약을 복용하고 있었으며 스스로도 자신의 건강을 좋지 않게 인식하고 있었다. 위생지식 평가 결과 손 씻기의 필요성은 인식하고 있었으나 그 구체적인 방법에 대한 지식은 부족하였고, 가열처리 없이 섭취하는 과일의 세척, 소독 방법, 남은 음식의 보관 방법, 행주의 사용에 대한 지식수준이 낮게 나타났다. 배달급식을 받는 노인들의 가정내에서 위생관리 수행도 평균 점수는 2.8점으로 높지 않았다. 남은 음식의 완전한 재가열, 유통기한 준수가 가장 잘 수행되고 있는 반면, 손 상처의 부적절한 처리, 행주와 도마의 관리, 달걀 등 오염도가 높은 식품 취급 후 손 씻기가 잘 수행되고 있지 않았다. 급식 수혜노인의 위생지식과 식품취급습관은 일부를 제외하고는 일반 사항에 따른 유의적인 차이가 없었다. 위생지식 총점과 수행도 평균은 유의적인 양의 상관관계를 보였고(p＜0.01), 세부 영역별로는 구분사용과 세척 및 소독 위생지식이 관련 수행도와 유의적인 양의 상관관계를 보였다(p＜0.01). 독거노인과 노인가정이 증가하면서 가정에서 노인들의 식품취급은 증가할 것이고, 외부에서 조리된 음식을 가정에서 섭취할 경우에도 섭취 전까지 보관이 식품의 안전성 확보에 중요하므로 노인들을 대상으로 하는 위생교육 프로그램의 개발에 본 연구 결과가 이용될 수 있을 것이다. 보다 효과적인 위생교육 프로그램의 개발을 위해서는 위생교육을 통해 습득된 위생지식이 실생활에서 실천되는 과정에 영향을 미칠 수 있는 요인들에 대한 연구 역시 지속되어야 할 것이다.

Evaluation of an Educational Intervention Using the Enhanced Food Safety Cost-of-Illness Model

In recent years, a number of federally sponsored state-based food safety education programs have conducted economic evaluations aimed at demonstrating the efficacy of their approaches. These evaluations have typically been based on the “Virginia method,” a comprehensive, but overly simplistic means of estimating benefit-cost ratios for food safety and nutrition education programs. In this article, we use the enhanced food safety cost-of-illness model, coupled with a more complete food safety education intervention model to evaluate the efficacy of the Ohio Family Nutrition Program. We find that, under most reasonable assumptions, the derived benefit-cost ratios imply that this program is socially beneficial. The model presented here is of particular use because it can be replicated to evaluate other broad-based food safety programs.

ASAS Centennial Paper: Developments and future outlook for preharvest food safety1

The last century of food animal agriculture is a remarkable triumph of scientific research. Knowledge derived through research has resulted in the development and use of new technologies that have increased the efficiency of food production and created a huge animal production and food manufacturing industry capable of feeding the US population while also providing significant quantities of high-quality food for export to other countries. Although the US food supply is among the safest in the world, the US Center for Disease Prevention and Control estimates that 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 die each year from foodborne illness. Consequently, preventing foodborne illness and death remains a major public health concern. Challenges to providing a safe, abundant, and nutritious food supply are complex because all aspects of food production, from farm to fork, must be considered. Given the national and international demand and expectations for food safety as well as the formidable challenges of producing and maintaining a safe food supply, food safety research and educational programs have taken on a new urgency. Remarkable progress has been made during the last century. Wisdom from a century of animal agriculture research now includes the realization that on-farm pathogens are intricately associated with animal health and well-being, the production of high-quality food, and profitability. In this review, some of the developments that have occurred over the last few decades are summarized, including types, sources, and concentrations of disease-causing pathogens encountered in food-producing animal environments and their association with food safety; current and future methods to control or reduce foodborne pathogens on the farm; and present and future preharvest food safety research directions. Future scientific breakthroughs will no doubt have a profound impact on animal agriculture and the production of high-quality food, but we will also be faced with moral, ethical, and societal dilemmas that must be reconciled. A strong, science-based approach that addresses all the complex issues involved in continuing to improve food safety and public health is necessary to prevent foodborne illnesses. Not only must research be conducted to solve complex food safety issues, but results of that research must also be communicated effectively to producers and consumers.

Randomized Controlled Trial to Determine the Effectiveness of an Interactive Multimedia Food Safety Education Program for Clients of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

Background Pregnant women and the very young are among those most susceptible to foodborne infections and at high risk of a severe outcome from foodborne infections. Objective To determine if interactive multimedia is a more effective method than pamphlets for delivering food safety education to Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clients. Design A randomized controlled trial of WIC clients was conducted. Self-reported food safety practices were compared between pre- and postintervention questionnaires completed ≥2 months after the intervention. Subjects/setting Pregnant WIC clients or female caregivers (usually mothers) of WIC clients who were 18 years of age or older and able to speak and read English were recruited from an inner-city WIC clinic. Intervention Participants were randomized to receive food safety pamphlets or complete an interactive multimedia food safety education program on a computer kiosk. Main outcome measures Change from pre- to postintervention food safety scores. Statistical analyses performed A mean food safety score was determined for each participant for the pre- and postintervention questionnaires. The scores were used in a two-group repeated measures analysis of variance. Results Of the 394 participants, 255 (64.7%) completed the postintervention questionnaire. Satisfaction with the program was high especially among those with no education beyond high school. When considering a repeated measures analysis of variance model with the two fixed between-subject effects of group and age, a larger improvement in score in the interactive multimedia group than in the pamphlet group ( P=0.005) was found, but the size of the group effect was small (partial η 2=0.033). Women aged 35 years or older in the interactive multimedia group had the largest increase in score. Conclusions The interactive multimedia was well-accepted and resulted in improved self-reported food safety practices, suggesting that interactive multimedia is an effective option for food safety education in WIC clinics.

CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARD ISSUES IN FOOD SAFETY

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to evaluate consumer attitudes regarding the safety of the food supply, relate food safety concern levels with groups of specific items, regulatory issues and prioritization of food safety funding areas, and to evaluate attitudes and behaviors toward specific food safety issues. As general level of concern with food safety increased, so did concern with chemical, microbiological and regulatory issues. Concern with microbiological issues was higher than in previous studies. Only about 15% of the consumers thought they had contracted a foodborne illness during the last year; &gt;40% thought the source was restaurant food and &gt;25% thought the source was a school or church event. Concerns with cholesterol, salt and sugar were significantly higher than in previous studies. Consumers were very concerned about the inspection of imported foods and restaurant sanitation; however, they did not assign a high priority to funding of regulatory issues such as hiring more inspectors. The majority of consumers surveyed think that genetically modified foods, irradiated foods, food from animals treated with hormones or treated with antibiotics found safe by the Food and Drug Administration, are safe to eat (80, 77, 72 and 74%, respectively); however, about one‐third would not purchase them, and more than 20% have reduced their consumption of some foods because they think they are irradiated, contain genetically modified organisms or are derived from animals treated with hormones or antibiotics.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSHalf the 400 consumers surveyed considered their food very safe, about a 10% decrease since 2002. As far as “chemical issues,” consumers were most concerned with pesticide residues, hormones in poultry and meat, and preservatives. Concern with “microbiological issues” was substantially higher than in past studies. This may be because of the awareness of recent foodborne illness outbreaks linked to restaurant sanitation and meat being thoroughly cooked. Even though consumers were increasingly concerned about microbiological and regulatory issues, the priority for funding more inspectors for foodservice and manufacturing facilities was not higher. Consumers who were very concerned with food safety generally gave moderately high priority to funding mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and human health studies to understand the risks of hormones in food animals. If the Food and Drug Administration determined that irradiated foods, those containing GMOs and products derived from animals treated with either antibiotics or hormones are safe, more than 70% of consumers believe they are safe to eat; however, 18–28% have reduced their consumption of these foods and more than one‐third would pay more for products guaranteed not to have been so treated. These findings demonstrate that consumer concerns about food safety are a moving target and that concern, attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent. This implies that while general food safety education programs may be effective in establishing an overall knowledge base, often the food industry and regulatory agencies must respond “after the fact” to specific issues, such as Escherichia coli.

Survey of Listeria spp. in matched clinical, food and refrigerator samples at home level in Brazil

Listeria monocytogenes is a bacterial pathogen that represents a serious threat during pregnancy and several cases of listeriosis have been linked to the consumption of contaminated foods worldwide. In Brazil, there is no report of foodborne listeriosis, despite some sporadic cases of infection by this bacterium occur. In general in our country, there is no awareness of medical personnel to instruct moms-to-be to avoid high risk foods. In the present study, a total of 141 samples were surveyed for the presence of Listeria spp., including cervicovaginal samples of patients, foods and home refrigerators. No clinical sample was positive for Listeria spp., but it was isolated from two refrigerators. L. monocytogenes was detected in two food samples out of five positive ones for Listeria spp. In conclusion, it was shown the presence of contaminated food items at home level and the lack of information on the risks of listeriosis, indicating the need of implementation of food safety education programs.

More Firsts for JFSE

For the first time, JFSE has the opportunity to publish an essay by the Creuss Award winner. Everyone (from new teachers to experienced old hands) who teaches will find something they can use in Professor Wrolstad essay. We also are publishing a brief history of the Education Division to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Division. This piece also includes some provocative commentary on the future of food science education from several former chairs of the Division. Jim Bird's column has become one of the most downloaded pieces of JFSE. This issue's column provides some links to internet tools for assessing student learning and brief summaries of a number of recently published articles that should be of substantial interest to our readers. For those of you who have missed Daryl Lund's editorial in JFS and CRFSFS, you will want to pay attention to his comments about impact factors and IFT's peer reviewed journals. Impact factor, in my opinion, is not an appropriate measure for JFSE. We are looking at what quantitative indicators would be appropriate. Perhaps, article downloads will be that measure. This issue's original research includes research involving students outside the normal university. Beffa-Negrini and others' “Development and Evaluation of an Online, Inquiry-based Food Safety Education Program for Secondary Teachers and Their Students” will be of interest to our growing readership who work in secondary schools as well as university educators interested in online teaching. Anding and others' “Self-reported Changes in Food Safety Behaviors among Foodservice Employees: Impact of a Retail Food Safety Education Program” provides insight into evaluation of food safety education programs.

Self‐Reported Changes in Food Safety Behaviors among Foodservice Employees: Impact of a Retail Food Safety Education Program

ABSTRACT: A food safety education program developed for retail food establishments was evaluated to assess the extent to which participants were practicing selected behaviors linked to reducing the risk of foodborne disease both before and after the program. Scores from the state health department's Certified Food Manager (CFM) exam also were examined. Based on the 189 usable surveys returned, most respondents were female, middle age, and white with nearly 11 y of foodservice experience. Results revealed that after completing the program, participants reported practicing behaviors related to hand washing, maintaining safe food temperatures, preventing crosscontamination, and pest management more frequently (P &lt; 0.05) compared to before the program. Effect size analysis indicated these results were also practically significant. Most (82.5%; n= 156) participants passed the CFM exam. Compared to those who failed the CFM exam, those who passed reported significantly higher changes in the adoption of selected behaviors; however, these results were of limited practical significance according to effect size analysis. Results suggest the food safety program is effective in promoting the adoption of food safety behaviors that can help reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Development and Evaluation of an Online, Inquiry‐Based Food Safety Education Program for Secondary Teachers and Their Students

ABSTRACT: Secondary science teachers who integrate food safety (FS) into curricula can provide FS knowledge and skills to youth while reinforcing science skills and concepts. National science education standards and the Biological Science Curriculum Study 5E Inquiry‐based Learning Model were used to design an online training, Food Safety FIRST. The training has 3 modules, each with 15 h of web‐based instruction, interactive discussion, and tools to conduct experiments or critical evaluation projects. A CD‐ROM, web site (http://foodsafetyfirst.org), and lab kit were developed to accompany module activities. Seventy‐one teachers registered for the program; 38 matched pretest/posttest evaluations were analyzed. When asked their intention to teach FS in the next year, enrollees responded “definitely” (60.5%) or “possibly” (34.2%), reaching potentially 3570 students. Participants found the training very valuable (71.1%) and were significantly more comfortable teaching FS at posttest (3.6 ± 0.5 on a 4‐point Likert scale) than at pretest (2.8 ± 1.0; P &lt; 0.0001, n= 35). Self‐reported FS practices also improved from pretest (24.8 ± 5.7 out of a possible 35) to posttest (27.7 ± 4.8; P &lt; 0.001, n= 32). On 4‐point Likert scales, teachers were confident answering FS questions (3.4); confident that if they did a good job teaching this topic, students would be interested in FS (3.4); and confident FS concepts taught would meet national science standards (3.4). They found the program satisfactory for demonstrating inquiry‐based learning (3.8). Most agreed that they would change FS habits (3.2). Using 5‐point scales, participants agreed that they felt more able to critically evaluate FS information on the Internet (4.2) and that the training was enjoyable in an online format (4.3).