Food Safety Education Research Articles

거동 불편한 저소득 노인의 식품안전행동 영향요인에 관한 연구

Healthy eating in terms of nutrition and food safety is crucial for preserving an older adult’s quality of life when their immune systems start to decline. However, it has not gotten the same attention as other age groups. In order to map out a path for secure food safety in later life, this study provided meal services to low-income older adults with limited mobility and examined the determinants impacting their food safety behavior. In Seoul, a pre- and post-test survey was done on 104 older people who had used a healthy meal delivery service, and the results were compared and reviewed with survey data collected from 38 older people who had not used the service. The six-month subscription to the healthy meal delivery service includes daily nutritional monitoring, nutrition delivery, frequent counseling and educational services from a dietician, as well as lunch boxes customized to the customers' health state. The study revealed that older individuals in the experimental group had higher levels of the food safety behavior index after using the service. The index for the older individuals in the comparison group remained unchanged. The use of healthy meal delivery services including nutrition and food safety education was the only factor, according to regression analysis, that had a statistically significant impact on the older people's behaviors related to food safety when socio-demographic variables were controlled. These results show that regular information exchange and dietitian counseling have a positive influence on the food safety practices of elderly low-income individuals with limited mobility. Future legislative and practical initiatives will be required to provide regular dietitian monitoring and intervention to ensure food safety for elderly low-income individuals with limited mobility.

Evaluating food safety education in hospitality management programs through the lenses of situated learning theory: Insights from industry leaders and educators

Food safety is essential in hospitality management education, but there has been great concern about students' knowledge, attitude, and practices about food safety. Guided by the situated learning theory, this study evaluated contemporary food safety education in U.S. colleges and identified needs for future improvement. This paper reports the findings of two studies: the first interviewed 20 industry leaders in hospitality management, and the second interviewed 10 food safety educators. The results showed that, despite its importance, food safety education in colleges had heavily relied on commercialized programs such as ServSafe®, and taking these courses is unmotivating for students. Moreover, practitioners acknowledge the importance of food safety, but their implementation of food safety training can be limited by organizational size and staffing issues. Based on the theory and the findings, this study provided suggestions for improving food safety education in U.S. higher education institutions.

Food safety education for PKK cadres in Mancilan Village, Jombang Regency through borax and formalin detection training

We need to exercise caution regarding the distribution of instant foods that may potentially contain borax and formaldehyde in order to minimize the risk of health issues within families. However, the majority of people, including the residents of Mancilan Village in Mojoagung District, Jombang Regency, are not yet knowledgeable about how to identify food products that may be tainted with borax or formaldehyde. Therefore, the objective of this community service initiative is to enhance the understanding of Mancilan Village PKK cadres regarding the hazards posed by borax and formaldehyde to family health. Additionally, it aims to enhance and develop the cadres' skills in detecting borax and formaldehyde content in food items. The methods employed in this initiative encompass workshops, demonstrations, simulations, and focus group discussions, involving 30 participants. The socialization activities have had a significant impact on improving the cadres' knowledge concerning additional food ingredients (an increase of 21.6 points), the characteristics and risks associated with borax (an increase of 20 points), and the characteristics and dangers of formaldehyde (an increase of 23.3 points). The training activities have qualitatively succeeded in enhancing the skills for the detection of borax and formalin contamination.

A Survey to Assess Food Safety Knowledge and Habits Among High School Students, Their Parents and Teachers in Pescara and Chieti Provinces, Abruzzo Region (Italy)

Food safety is a topic of increasing relevance in the European Union (EU). Ensuring safe food from farm to fork is one of the main objectives of EU policies. In our study, we conducted an online survey to assess the food safety knowledge and eating habits in various categories. For young people, we chose school students aged 15–19, based on their ability to cook autonomously after school. For adults, we choose a representative sample consisting of students’ parents and teachers in Chieti and Pescara Provinces of Abruzzo Region (Italy). The survey was structured in eight sections with particular attention to questions regarding risks associated with microorganisms (e.g., Salmonella spp.) and bacterial cross-contamination. Students represented 60.7% of all respondents (n = 290). Risk perception associated with microorganisms in food was significantly different among students and teachers (p < 0.05). Students indicated microorganisms as a food risk in 20.2% of cases, while environmental pollutants were considered the greatest problem for 71.7% of participants. Among teachers, results indicated that 55.1% considered microorganisms a food-associated risk. An adequate theoretical knowledge regarding safe cooking practices was demonstrated by the majority of participants. Acceptable knowledge regarding microbiologically safe cooking practices was also demonstrated by participants. Based on these results, we provide suggestions to improve food safety education programs including the use of social media, as well as by adjusting educational strategies according to the background of learners.

Consumers' Segmentation Influences Acceptance and Preferences of Cheeses with Sanitary Inspection and Artisanal Seals.

Food labeling serves as a crucial medium for industries to communicate product qualities to consumers. Sanitary inspection and artisanal seals are significant markers for traditional cheeses, yet current information on this topic is limited. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the impact of sanitary inspection and the ARTE seal on the acceptance of artisanal cheese. To achieve this objective, four hypothetical cheese labels featuring all combinations of sanitary inspection and ARTE seals were presented to 404 consumers. These consumers rated their acceptance of each label, a conjoint analysis was conducted, and the relative importance of each seal was calculated. Subsequently, consumers were segmented using hierarchical cluster analysis. Their socio-demographic profiles were statistically correlated to the clusters through a chi-squared method. The results revealed the existence of three distinct consumer groups: those who strongly prefer cheeses with a sanitary seal (assigning a relative importance of 80.2% to the seal), those who favor cheeses with an artisanal seal (assigning a relative importance of 52.5% to the seal), and those for whom the presence of either seal did not significantly affect acceptance. Consumers residing in metropolitan areas generally placed less value on both seals, whereas frequent purchasers of artisanal foods and residents of rural areas showed a preference for the artisanal seal. Other socio-demographic variables did not statistically correlate with cluster membership. In conclusion, consumer segmentation based on preferences for sanitary inspection and artisanal seals in food labeling is vital for developing effective marketing strategies and food safety education policies.

KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF FOOD SAFETY AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG STREET FOOD CONSUMERS IN KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK, MALAYSIA

Street food plays a significant role in the economy, where it supports the livelihoods of millions of people living in urban and rural areas while also contributing to tourism industries. As such, the hygiene and safety of street food should not be underestimated, as poor adherence to food hygiene and safety can contribute to foodborne diseases. A good understanding of food safety among consumers can reduce the incidence of foodborne outbreaks. However, comprehensive literature on the safety of street food is still inadequate. Therefore, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted among street food consumers in Kuala Kangsar, Perak Malaysia, to determine the level of food safety knowledge and attitudes, as well as the associated factors. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and Chi-square tests were conducted using SPSS version 26. Findings revealed that street food consumers in Kuala Kangsar have a moderate knowledge (59 ± 17) on, and positive attitudes (78 ± 14) towards food safety. Analysis revealed a significant association between participants’ food safety knowledge and attitudes scores, and gender with participants’ knowledge (p &lt; 0.05). Even though the level of food safety knowledge and attitudes among street food consumers were satisfactory, the study suggests that several important factors, including cross-contamination, food pathogens, proper food storage, and time/temperature control, should be stressed when providing food safety education to the general public since these are the topics that the participants could not correctly answer. In addition, to promote hygiene and safety with regard to street food in Malaysia, related agencies such as the Ministry of Health and regulatory authorities must design effective initiatives and implement adequate control.

Food safety knowledge and practices among university students in the northern region of Ghana

Food safety knowledge and practices are necessary for eliminating food borne diseases, however, there is a scarcity of information on food safety knowledge and practices among young adults in the Northern Region of Ghana. This research was therefore aimed at assessing the food safety knowledge and practices of university students in the Northern region of Ghana and to determine if any relationship exists between their food safety knowledge and practices and their socio-demographic and academic characteristics A cross-sectional study was carried out where data was collected from 397 randomly selected students of the University for Development Studies and Tamale Technical University using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS V20. Results showed that 54.4% had good level of food safety knowledge, 38.5% had moderate level of food safety knowledge and 7.1% had poor levels of food safety knowledge. Similarly, students also showed 46.3%, 39.3% and 14.4% levels of good, moderate and poor food safety practices, respectively. The department and level of study significantly influenced (P &lt; 0.05) the food safety knowledge of participants, however no demographic characteristics influenced (P &gt; 0.05) the food safety practices of the participants. The findings from this study suggest the need for increased effort on how to guide students to translate their food safety knowledge into practice. Innovative and creative approaches should be applied to food safety education to increase practice since the students showed good food safety knowledge than food safety practice.

Beef Handling Practices Among Consumers in the U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) imports more than 95% of its food. Transportation limitations throughout the territory’s supply chain can make temperature control of protein foods challenging for consumers. This study aimed to characterize the beef handling practices used by consumers in USVI to determine any educational needs. Printed and online surveys (n = 620 total) were disseminated in USVI through extension agents and local media sources. Three hundred and thirty-four consumers completed a 30-question food handling questionnaire on consumption patterns and food handling from purchasing to their kitchen. Frequencies and Pearson chi-square tests of independence were performed. Beef ranked second among the different meat types consumed, 92% of consumers bought beef from grocery stores, and 55% removed beef from shelves immediately after entering the store. When shopping, 59.1% of respondents always checked the use-by/freeze-by dates of beef, 46.3% always separated beef from other foods, but only 27.5% always used insulated bags. Eighty-three percent of consumers returned home within 1 h of shopping, 92% took less than 30 min to store groceries in either a freezer or refrigerator (98%) and during power outages, 45.1% maintained cold temperatures of beef. Seventy-two percent of consumers washed their hands for more than 10 s, but 33% of those from households with a vulnerable person did not use soap to wash their hands and dried them with reusable towels. When cooking, 44.6% of consumers thawed beef within the temperature danger zone, 80.1% did not check the temperature of beef for doneness, and 34 respondents cooked hamburgers below 160°F. Future consumer food safety education initiatives in the USVI should address hand hygiene among food preparers in homes with vulnerable persons, temperature control practices by promoting the use of insulated bags, safe meat thawing techniques, and the use of thermometers during cooking.

Food safety knowledge among 7th-grade middle school students: A report of a Brazilian municipal school using workshop-based educational strategies.

Practical methodologies that include food safety and hygiene education in pedagogical activities are strategies to prevent foodborne diseases (FBDs). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge of 7th-grade middle school students regarding food microbiology and food safety, and to apply workshop-based educational strategies that focus on scientific literacy. The students (144) were initially evaluated using a Likert-scale questionnaire (pre-intervention, Q0) with ten objective questions on microbiology and food safety. Once the questionnaire was evaluated, interventions were conducted through five science workshops of 50 min, over a period of 5 months. The workshops included educational games, laboratory practices, videos, and lectures that addressed microorganisms that are known to cause the most common FBDs in Brazil. After each workshop, students were asked to express their opinions and understanding of the content through semi-structured interviews. Six months after the end of the practical interventions, the students completed a second identical Likert-scale questionnaire (post-intervention, Q1), and the answers to both questionnaires (Q0 and Q1) were analyzed by calculating the middle rank. The middle rank of Q1 (mean = 0.65 ± 0.13) was 21% greater than the middle rank of Q0 (mean = 0.44 ± 0.16), and statistical significance was observed (p = .0135). This demonstrates that new information acquired during the workshops positively influenced learning. We believe that when practical approaches to food safety are included in school education as a priority, the prevalence of FBD will decrease.

Attribution Analysis of Household Foodborne Disease Outbreaks in China, 2010-2020.

Foodborne diseases have become a serious public health problem worldwide, and foodborne disease outbreaks have placed a heavy disease burden on China. Foodborne disease outbreaks occur most frequently among families in China. The objectives of this study were to analyze the cause of household foodborne disease outbreaks in China from 2010 to 2020 and to identify where preventive measures could be targeted. All data were obtained from the China Foodborne Disease Surveillance System Report. A total of 17,985 outbreaks, which resulted in 73,252 illnesses, 38,829 hospitalizations, and 1269 deaths, were reported in this period. Most household outbreaks of foodborne diseases occurred in May-October, and the highest number occurred in July (3620 outbreaks, 20%). The province with the highest number of outbreaks was Yunnan Province (4829 outbreaks), followed by Hunan Province (2264 outbreaks). The attribution analysis revealed that fungi (mainly poisonous mushrooms) were the most implicated food category, with 8873 (49.3%) cases. The second was poisonous plants and their products, with 1552 (8.6%) cases. Fungi were the primary etiologic agent, with 31,125 illnesses, accounting for 42.5% of the incidents. Inedibility and misuse (9423 outbreaks), unknown origin (2505 outbreaks), and improper processing (2365 outbreaks) were the main contributing factors causing outbreaks of foodborne diseases. The results show that southwest China was a high-risk area for household foodborne diseases. Therefore, public health institutions should strengthen supervision and food safety education of residents to reduce the outbreaks of household foodborne diseases.

Access to Information, and Concerns, Myths and Truths about Food Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Overview of the Portuguese Population.

The COVID-19 pandemic raised questions and concerns about the possibility of the virus being transmitted through food, as the virus was found in sewage, shrimps and packages of frozen food. During the first wave of COVID-19, concerns about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through food arose. As the number of cases began to increase rapidly, so did the availability of information regarding the virus and ways to prevent infection. A significant portion of this information was disseminated by the media and the general public. Identifying and understanding the main doubts and concerns about food hygiene and safety raised by the Portuguese population during the first wave of COVID-19 is important in order to understand whether these issues have influenced their practices and what lessons can be learnt for food safety and hygiene education. The aims of this work were (1) to understand the doubts and concerns of the Portuguese population regarding food safety and hygiene during the first wave of COVID-19, and how these issues were clarified, (2) to analyze the population's opinion on food/hygiene myths and truths related to the transmission and prevention of the infection, and (3) to understand how the first wave of COVID-19 may have influenced the population's practices linked to food handling and consumption. The main doubts of the respondents were related to food handling (41.6%) and the possibility of transmission of COVID-19 through food (17%). Television was the main source of information used to clarify these doubts (32.9%), followed by a guideline issued by the Directorate-General of Health (30.7%). However, most respondents (50.9%) said that they had only found answers to some of their questions. Most respondents reported washing and disinfecting hands before (85% and 63.4%, respectively) and after (73.8% and 57.3%, respectively) the handling and organization of food purchases. Most respondents did not believe the myths about COVID-19 and food safety, but this depended on their level of education. Some practices may have changed as a result of the pandemic, particularly with regard to washing and disinfecting hands and food, as well as kitchen hygiene.

Food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Jordanian women handling food at home during COVID-19 pandemic.

Concerns over food safety issues during the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) have sparked worldwide interest. Being part of a farm-to-fork food safety chain, food handlers at home are the final line of defense in reducing foodborne diseases. The present study used a cross-sectional survey to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of women food handlers in Jordan. The survey investigated the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on women who handle food at home in terms of food safety KAP. One thousand one hundred twenty-six respondents completed a food safety questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a mean score of 22.1 points out of 42, the results showed that women who handle food in their houses had insufficient knowledge, negative attitudes, and incorrect practices concerning food safety. The respondents demonstrated high knowledge, attitudes, and practices in the personal hygiene, cleaning and sanitation areas (≥ 60.0%). On the other hand, participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding contamination prevention, health issues that would affect food safety, symptoms of foodborne illnesses, safe storage, thawing, cooking, keeping, and reheating of foods, as well as COVID-19 were all low (< 60.0%). The correlations between participants' total food safety KAP scores and education, age, experience, region, and the pandemic effect on food safety were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first conducted in Jordan to investigate food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices by women handling food at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Principles and Practices of Effective Food Safety Risk Communication – Introducing the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Food Safety Risk Communication Framework

This paper describes the principles and practices of effective food safety risk communication developed under the “Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Food Safety Risk Communication Framework and Associated Guidelines”. The framework recommends that effective food safety risk communication needs to be centered on the clear goal of protecting consumer health by ensuring transparency and timeliness, and communication on food safety matters should be conducted in a two-way process. It emphasizes the need to provide the public with credible information based on science and evidence and highlights that food safety is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders, including industry, government agencies, media organizations and consumers. It further highlights that food safety risk communication needs to be conducted in a consistent, systematic, inclusive, consultative, and preventative manner. The framework also indicates that effective food safety risk communication needs to pay attention to the backgrounds, experiences, and needs of concerned audiences. It stresses the importance of continuous improvement of the communication system to ensure food safety risk communication to be effective. Focusing on effective communications in response to food safety incidents, emergency or crisis situations, as well as everyday food safety communications, these principles and practical guidelines will help food safety regulators, food industry, food safety educators and other stakeholders improve their communications with target audiences.

P17-010-23 Effectiveness of Food Safety Education Sessions To Improve the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Low-Income Households in Guayaquil, Ecuador

P17-010-23 Effectiveness of Food Safety Education Sessions To Improve the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Low-Income Households in Guayaquil, Ecuador

Assessing learning about food safety using Personal Meaning Maps

Objective: According to the World Health Organisation’s estimates, food contamination is linked to 23 million cases of illness and 5,000 deaths per year in Europe. While changes in food production and distribution play an important role in managing contamination risk, foodborne illnesses can originate in food-handling practices at home. This study aimed to assess how a food safety education initiative in which students learned about food safety risks and minimising risk behaviour improved students’ knowledge about food safety. Setting: Three public schools, two in Hungary and one in Portugal. Methods: A study of 105 Hungarian and Portuguese students between 11 and 18 years of age were invited to prepare Personal Meaning Maps before and after the delivery of a food safety lesson delivered by a school science teacher. Knowledge and risk perceptions of food safety, before and after the delivery of the lesson, were assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results: Food safety topics that were scored highest were those that already had strong scores in the diagnostic phase, such as those related to personal hygiene and use-by dates. However, the largest increases in mastery scores were in less-known-about topics such as cold chain and cross-contamination risks. Idea associations take place often by linking specific contents to already-known-about concepts. Conclusion: Findings show that students more readily engaged with practical concepts directly linked to their experience of food handling at home than to more abstract concepts of food safety and contamination.

Food Safety Education for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers, Toddlers, Adolescents, and the Elderly

Quality food products, halal, free from microbial and chemical contamination, and containing harmless ingredients are the criteria for food products that are suitable for consumption. Especially the use of food products for pregnant and lactating mothers, toddlers, and the elderly must be products that should not be careless. This food safety information can be obtained through education provided in community service activities. Community service activities are carried out by religious leaders and influential community leaders, namely PKK cadres in Ketitang Lor Village, Bojong District, PKK cadres in Sabarwangi Village, Kajen District, Aisyiyah Regional Leaders (PDA) Pekalongan Regency, Nasyiatul Aisyiyah Regional Leaders (PDNA) Pekalongan Regency. This activity is expected to provide an overview and knowledge about the safety of food products for pregnant and lactating mothers, toddlers, children, adolescents and the elderly. The implementation method used is to conduct Communication, Information, and Education (KIE) counseling with the lecture method and discussion. Assessment of knowledge improvement by giving pretest and posttest questionnaires. This activity provides an overview for participants to be able to inform pregnant, lactating mothers, foster parents of infants and adolescents, and the elderly to consume safe and healthy food. Participants are interested and cooperative in participating in the activities. The results of the activity showed an increase in knowledge of 3.21%.

Teaching children to identify and avoid food allergens using behavioral skills training.

Allergic reactions to allergenic foods can pose a lethal threat to children with food allergies. Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of using behavioral skills training (BST) plus in situ training (IST) to teach safety responses to children. However, there has not been an evaluation of using BST to teach food safety to children with food allergies. Three elementary-school children of neurotypical development with food allergies participated. We evaluated the efficacy of BST with IST in teaching participants to identify and respond to allergenic foods by (a) asking to see the food packaging, (b) scanning the food label for the allergenic food, and (c) reporting the safety threat to an adult while not consuming the food. Trials without allergenic foods were also presented to ensure discriminated responding. All participants demonstrated the three correct safety responses after BST and responded differentially across allergenic and nonallergenic foods, with two participants requiring feedback (IST).

Evaluating Misinformation on YouTube about Washing Produce Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemi

be videos have been a significant source of public health and food safety misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the washing of produce with soap and other substances was promoted in the early stages of the pandemic through YouTube videos. Therefore, we conducted a study to analyze produce washing messaging in YouTube videos posted during, compared to prior to, the COVID-19 pandemic. Videos were identified via targeted keyword searches. Produce washing methods were coded and classified according to government recommendations. A total of 100 YouTube videos were identified and analyzed; 66 videos were posted during the pandemic and 34 before the pandemic. Of the 100 videos, 70 contained nonfactual information about produce washing. Videos posted by bloggers were more likely to contain nonfactual information compared to videos posted by the government and organizations (78 versus 29%). Videos posted during the pandemic were more likely to have nonfactual information than those posted before the pandemic (56 versus 17%). This study found that individual bloggers contributed to the spread of misinformation about produce washing in YouTube videos, resulting in potentially harmful behavior changes among consumers. Efforts are needed from food safety educators and public health officials to improve the accuracy of food safety information disseminated on YouTube.

Effect of WeChat-based intervention on food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices among university students in Chongqing, China: a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundFood safety is of global importance and has been of concern in university settings in recent years. However, effective methods to conduct food safety education are limited. This study aims to evaluate the effects of an intervention on food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) by social media, WeChat, among university students.MethodsA quasi-experimental study was conducted in Chongqing, China. Two departments were recruited randomly from a normal university and a medical university. One department from each university was randomly selected as the intervention group and the other as the control group. All freshmen students in each selected department were chosen to participate in this study. One thousand and twenty-three students were included at baseline, and 444 students completed the study. This intervention was conducted through food safety-related popular science articles with an average of three articles per week released by WeChat official accounts called "Yingyangren" for two months to the intervention group. No intervention was conducted in the control group. An independent t-test was used to test statistical differences in the food safety KAP scores between the two groups. A paired t-test was used to test statistical differences in the food safety KAP scores between before and after the intervention. And quantile regression analysis was conducted to explore the difference between the two groups across the quantile levels of KAP change.ResultsAfter the intervention, compared with control group, participants in the intervention group did not score significant higher on knowledge (p = 0.98), attitude (p = 0.13), and practice (p = 0.21). And the scores of food safety knowledge and practices slightly improved after the intervention both in the intervention group (p = 0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively) and in the control group (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.0001, respectively). Additionally, the quantile regression analysis showed that the intervention had no effect on improving the food safety KAP scores.ConclusionsThe intervention using the WeChat official account had limited effects on improving the food safety KAP among the university students. This study was an exploration of food safety intervention using the WeChat official account; valuable experience can be provided for social media intervention in future study.Trial registrationChiCTR-OCH-14004861.

Counseling on Food Safety and Utilization of White Turmeric for Snack Bars at UMKM Amelia Bakery

Indonesia has various types of empon-empon plants, one of which is white turmeric (Curcuma Mangga Val). This type of white turmeric contains curcuminoids and polyphenols which are useful as antioxidants. Utilization of these empon-empon as a daily snack will be very beneficial for health. However, the production of packaged food requires an understanding of food safety. The purpose of this community service is to conduct food safety education and apply white turmeric in the processing of snack bars. Implementation of safety counseling activities and processing of snack bars added with white turmeric at UMKM Amelia Bakery on October 26 2022, attended by employees. Snack bars with the addition of white turmeric powder were tested for preference at the UMBY Sensory Laboratory. The test sample is a snack bar sample with the addition of 5 g of white turmeric powder; 7.5g; and 10 g. UMKM Amelia Bakery employees understand food safety and the most preferred product is a snack bar with the addition of 5 g of white turmeric powder.