Restaurant Food Safety Research Articles

Environmental Antecedents of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks, United States, 2017–2019

Foodborne outbreak investigations often provide data for public health officials to determine how the environment contributed to the outbreak and on how to prevent future outbreaks. State and local health departments are responsible for investigating foodborne illness outbreaks in their jurisdictions and reporting the data to national-level surveillance systems, including information from the environmental assessment. This assessment is designed to describe how the environment contributed to the outbreak and identifies factors that contributed to the outbreak and environmental antecedents to the outbreak. Environmental antecedents, also referred to as root causes, are specific reasons that allow biological or chemical agents to contaminate, survive, or grow in food. From 2017 to 2019, 24 jurisdictions reported 1,430 antecedents from 393 outbreaks to the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System. The most reported antecedents were lack of oversight of employees/enforcement of policies (89.1%), lack of training of employees on specific processes (74.0%), and lack of a food safety culture/attitude towards food safety (57.5%). These findings highlight the critical role that employees play in restaurant food safety and are heavily influenced by restaurant management, who can exercise active managerial control to manage these antecedents. Identifying antecedents during investigations is essential for understanding the outbreak’s root cause and implementing sustainable corrective actions to stop the immediate outbreak and future outbreaks.

Blockchain-based secure dining: Enhancing safety, transparency, and traceability in food consumption environment

This research paper seeks to examine the possibilities of blockchain technology. For use in the field of restaurant food tracking and safety. Public health risks and economic costs are at stake when foodborne illness outbreaks occur, making food safety a top priority in the food industry. It can be difficult to quickly identify and address possible concerns about using traditional food traceability systems due to inefficiencies, data discrepancies, and a lack of transparency. In this study, we introduce a novel blockchain-based system developed especially for the purpose of tracking restaurant food. Blockchain decentralised consensus, immutability, and smart contracts are put to use in this system to provide trustworthy and transparent traceable infrastructure. Real-time monitoring and data collection along the food supply chain become possible when the blockchain architecture is combined with the Internet of Things (IoT) devices and RFID technology. We show that our proposed blockchain-based traceability solution is practical and efficient through a thorough assessment and validation procedure. The outcomes show that the system not only improves data quality and reliability but also drastically decreases the time and resources needed for food traceability. In addition, patrons are more likely to return to eateries that place a premium on food safety when they are given more information about the establishment’s practises. Additionally, we discuss scalability, data privacy, and interoperability concerns that may arise in future implementations and provide some initial ideas for overcoming these issues.

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Restaurant Food Safety

Restaurants and other food service establishments are of major concern to public health as they can be sources of illnesses and disease outbreaks. Many of the measures that were put forth by public health to reduce COVID-19 transmission, would also have been beneficial to the overall food safety of restaurants. On the contrary, psychological stress, staff shortages and revenue losses may have had a negative impact on food safety practices in restaurants. This study aims to determine if the COVID-19 pandemic had a measurable impact on post-pandemic food safety in restaurants.

Restaurant worker food safety and sanitation compliance behavior in times of crisis: an investigation of transactional leadership behavior effectiveness

ABSTRACT This study investigated the use of the transactional leadership style (TLB) by restaurant managers and its effect on food safety compliance by restaurant employees in the United States. Utilizing parallel mediation analyses, the study investigated the impact that fear, responsibility, knowledge, and gain had on compliance. Results provide theoretical and practical implications related to the effective use of TLB in motivating compliance amongst employees. The importance of implementing disciplinary actions for noncompliance is suggested and results indicate that compliance was more likely when employees felt a sense of responsibility, understood food safety rules, and believed they would experience gain.

Evaluasi Sistem Jaminan Keamanan Pangan di Restoran Multicabang PT XYZ Area Jakarta

Improper restaurant management causes potential food safety hazards which can lead to decline in public health. This study aims to evaluate food safety system at restaurant multisite PT XYZ area Jakarta to determine the knowledge of managers and knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handler about food safety, analyze level correlation between knowledge food handlers with attitudes and practices, correlate food safety knowledge restaurant managers with E. coli contamination and also observed general food safety implementation in restaurant. Data collection was by filling out questionnaires by 136 food handlers and 44 restaurant manager and observation of food safety in 44 restaurants. The results showed that restaurant managers had good knowledge of food safety and 63.6% had attended food safety training. Food handlers had good knowledge, attitudes, and practices (77.21, 84.56, 80.15%). Statistical analysis did not indicate a significant correlation between knowledge and attitudes. However, it was found that there is correlation between knowledge with practice and attitudes with practice. Observation result of restaurant food safety implementation showed that 93.8% had a good implementation. The knowledge of restaurant managers correlated positively with the implementation of restaurant food safety practices, but did not correlate with the presence of E.coli. The presence of E.coli did not indicate corelation with restaurant observation value. Testing E.coli at 44 restaurants showed that 9 of the salad samples and 3 of the sushi samples were detected by E.coli, while the ice coffee milk did not detect E. coli.

Applying a hypocrite strategy to improve restaurant food safety practices in the U.S.

• The hypocrite strategy can influence implicit attitudes of food safety practices. • The hypocrite strategy can influence intention of glove-wearing. • The hypocrite did not affect direct attitude of food safety practices. • Years of working experience can influence participants' food safety behavioral intention.

Practices of Halalan Thayyiban Aspect in Japanese Restaurants in Brunei Darussalam

The halalan thayyiban concept has been mentioned in al-Quran and sunnah. The popularisation of Japanese cuisine is a global phenomenon and Brunei Darussalam is not an exception. With the growing number of non-Islamic food products dominating the halal food industry, the status of halal food has become uncertain and controversial. The Brunei Government has emphasised the importance of Brunei restaurants complying with the requirements of halal eligibility and shariah law. Therefore, the need for Japanese restaurant management to comply with the halal norm is inevitable. This study has been conducted in an attempt to explore halalan thayyiban practices that are being implemented in Japanese Restaurants in Brunei Darussalam. Data was collected from six participants who were involved in semi-structured interviews. The major findings have shown that respondents were excellent in practising halālan thayyiban in terms of healthy food, food safety, and hygiene in Japanese restaurants. These findings are very important and hopefully can be used as a guide to restaurant employees in other ethnic restaurants and also greatly benefit Muslim and non-Muslim readers who consume halal food.

Consumer risk perceptions concerning different consequences of foodborne disease acquired from food consumed away from home: A case study in Brazil

Foodborne diseases (FBD) generate a substantial burden on society and individual; however, it is not clear how consumers perceive the impact of different consequences of FBD on individual lifestyles. This study aims to investigate consumer risk perceptions of FBD, considering different consequences and scenarios. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 150 consumers from ten restaurants in Brazil. Consumers were interviewed in the restaurant post-food consumption to determine the personal risk of experiencing FBD. The restaurant food safety measures was assessed using a validated checklist. A FBD risk score was calculated. Ten questions were used to assess consumers' risk perceptions. The likelihood perception (L) of FBD was measured according to three contexts: actual restaurant of food consumption, another restaurant, and the consumers’ home. The consequences (C) of FBD on consumers' lifestyle were measured considering the impact on financial, performance, social, physical, psychological, and time aspects. Thus, 21 measures of cumulative risk perception (3L x 7C) were established. Findings indicated that consumers perceived the likelihood of FBD as low, mainly when considering food consumed at the actual restaurant and home. It is noted that risk perception was determined as higher when considering performance, physical, and time consequences. There was no association between the risk assessment determined for the restaurant and consumer risk perceptions from such restaurants. Consumers were skeptical about their personal likelihood of experiencing FBD, unaware of the actual risk associated with FDB. However, consumers consider that the impact of FBD on their performance, physical, and time is relevant. In a multidimensional way the risk assessment could be helpful to understand consumer behavior relating to food and restaurant choices. Understanding consumer fears and perceptions generate invaluable insight and data that can be used to develop targeted educational campaigns and food safety strategies. • Consumers underestimate the risk of foodborne diseases when eating away from home. •The consumer is willing to pay, on average, 30% more for a safer meal. •The risk perceptions were not associated with the risk assessment of the restaurants. •Performance, time, and health were the consequences with higher risk perceptions.

Safety of Foods Served in the Local Fast-Food Restaurants: Customers Observation versus Laboratory Examination

Today, the contamination of food by microbial agents is a worldwide concern. This study aimed to examine the presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) Bacteria in foods served in the local fast-food restaurants, investigate food safety handling practices in the local fast-food restaurants, besides, assess customer's awareness of the prerequisites of safe food at local fast-food restaurants. This study was based on two different methodologies; namely, survey methodology and laboratory examination methodology. Data for laboratory examination were collected from (90) food samples from (11) local fast-food restaurants within three tourist shopping malls located in Alexandria city in Egypt. Also, data from (387) customers were analyzed. The results of the microbiological examination revealed that one-third of collected food samples contain the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The findings of the study also revealed a shortage in the application of personal hygiene standards in the local fast-food restaurants; besides, the customers do not have sufficient awareness of the prerequisites of safe food at local fast-food restaurants. This study deepens the understanding of the concept of food safety in local fast-food restaurants, consequently, could help ensure food safety and protect the tourists' health.

A Public Health Informatics Solution to Improving Food Safety in Restaurants: Putting the Missing Piece in the Puzzle.

Foodborne illnesses remain an important public health challenge in the United States causing an estimated 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths per year. Restaurants are frequent settings for foodborne illness transmission. Public health surveillance - the continual, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of reports of health data to prevent and control illness - is a prerequisite for an effective food control system. While restaurant inspection data are routinely collected, these data are not regularly aggregated like traditional surveillance data. However, there is evidence that these data are a valuable tool for understanding foodborne illness outbreaks and threats to food safety. This article discusses the challenges and opportunities for incorporating routine restaurant inspection data as a surveillance tool for monitoring and improving foodborne illness prevention activities. The three main challenges are: 1) lack of a national framework; 2) lack of data standards and interoperability; and 3) limited access to restaurant inspection data. Tapping into the power of public health informatics represents an opportunity to address these challenges. Advancing the food safety system by improving restaurant inspection information systems and making restaurant inspection data available to support decision-making represents an opportunity to practice smarter food safety.

Food allergy knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among restaurant's staff in Jordan: a cross-sectional study

PurposePeople with food allergies rely to a great extent on restaurant staff to have a safe meal. The purpose of this paper is to acquire novel data to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices of food allergy among the restaurant's staff and factors that could be associated with these domains.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study involving 306 restaurant staff in Amman City, Jordan was conducted using a validated self-reported questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associated with knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP).FindingsThe results showed that most restaurant staff had moderate to excellent knowledge, positive attitudes, low to moderate risk practices regarding food allergy. Knowledge level was significantly associated with the staff's age, position, education level and restaurant class. Further, attitude level was significantly associated with staff age, experience, gender, education level, restaurant class and whether the restaurant held food safety certificates. Similarly, staff behavioral practices were significantly associated with staff position, restaurant class and the presence of valid food safety certificates.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that more training for the staff in restaurants would be associated with a lower risk of providing unsafe meals.Originality/valueThis study demonstrated the need for the pre-employment theoretical and practical tests for restaurants’ staff to determine their knowledge level and provide them mandatory developing training programs to support and facilitate food allergy risk management and to develop food allergy policies.

Employed in the foodservice industry: likelihood of intervention with food safety threats

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate restaurant employee behaviors and their likelihood of intervening when witnessing food safety threats.Design/methodology/approachA mixed method was used for this study with the focus group interview and survey questionnaire. A total of eight focus groups ranging in number of participants from to 6 to 12 were asked to respond to presented scenarios that depicted restaurant employees committing food safety risk behaviors and threats in the restaurant environment that would present food safety risks such as out-of-stock bathroom supplies, dirty tables in the restaurant dining area, employee personal hygiene issues and unclean production equipment. These participants were also asked to complete a draft of the survey that would later be edited and distributed to the sample population.FindingsResults suggest that social norms and perceived severity of threats impact the likelihood that restaurant employees will intervene. Implications for academics and practitioners are discussed.Originality/valueThis study was special as it provides a synthetic viewpoint that considers how service organizations can work to do a better job of interviewing employees before starting their jobs about their beliefs and personal practices of food safety at home, their previous work in the restaurant industry and food safety culture that they may have worked in before, as well as increasing the communication in restaurants to build a food safety culture. These practices can help to lower risks to the public regarding food safety and can help to build relationship trust in the brands that we all love to indulge in when dining out.

Food Image and Loyalty Intentions: Chinese Tourists’ Destination Food Satisfaction

ABSTRACT This study examined the multidimensional construct of food image, assessed the impact of destination food image on tourist loyalty intentions and investigated the mediating effect of food satisfaction on this relationship. A survey was conducted of 411 Chinese tourists who had visited Phuket. Results of Explanatory Factor Analysis revealed four dimensions including restaurant service, food safety and hygiene, variety and table manners, and food taste and popularity, among which, food taste and popularity was the most influential factor contributing to tourists’ perceptions of Thai food image. Structural Equation Modeling confirmed the relationships between perceived destination food image, food satisfaction, and loyalty intentions. Additionally, a mediation model demonstrated that food satisfaction mediates the relationship between food image and loyalty intentions. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed in the context of tourism marketing and destination management.

Regional Character, Restaurant Size, and Food Safety Risk: Evidence from Food Safety Violation Data in Gansu Province, China

Restaurants are a place where food is prepared and cooked directly for customers. Food safety in restaurants is a public health concern and a multidisciplinary issue that needs to be explored. To protect the health of consumers and identify external factors that may affect food safety risk, this study explores how economic development and population density at the local level relate to food safety inspection outcomes in restaurants of different sizes. Using food safety violation data from 2017 and 2018, we categorized restaurants in Gansu Province, China, into small and large ventures to examine the relationships among regional character, restaurant size, and food safety risk. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests and negative binomial regression models. Our results show that large restaurants have a higher food safety risk than small restaurants. Moreover, the region with the lowest level of economic development had the highest food safety risk, while the region with the lowest population density had insufficient local inspections. By providing insight into which establishments demonstrate the highest food safety risks, our findings contribute to the development of processes that seek to effectively identifying food safety risks.

Hygiene Practices and Airborne Microbial Concentrations in Restaurants

This study was carried out to evaluate bioaerosol concentrations in the indoor air and the hygiene practices of restaurants to highlight the exposure risks and improve food safety in restaurants. Using depositional sampling techniques, air samples were collected from each restaurant kitchen and dining room and aerobically cultured. Hygiene/sanitary conditions were assessed using observation schedules and questionnaires. Meteorological parameters were also monitored during air sampling. The results revealed that bacterial and fungal concentrations (CFU m-3) ranged from 1.07×103‒1.36×104 and 8.2×101‒5.76×102, respectively. Regarding the sanitary conditions of the restaurants, 3.5% of the kitchens were in good sanitary condition, and the food was adequately protected from flies in only 14% of the kitchens. Only 3.5% of the food handlers had attended food hygiene basic training, up to 33% of the food handlers had no education at all, and only 0.10% had medical certifications. High microbial counts and the poor sanitary conditions and personal hygiene practices observed in this study not only indicate a strong need for improved hygiene but also constitute a serious potential health hazards.

Editorial and News

Editorial and News

Restaurant employees and food safety compliance: motivation comes from within

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of restaurant employee internal belief systems on their motivation to comply with food safety guidelines in restaurants. Food safety training programs and those offered by third-party vendors are commonplace in the industry, yet despite the expectations of employees to engage in safe food handling, not all are motivated to do so. To date, research has yet to be conducted on the impact of employees’ individual belief systems and their motivations to comply with safe food-handling practices expected by both their employer and local health agencies. This study posits that individuals either possess an internal values system committed to food safety compliance or they do not; and, that individually oriented beliefs and norms have a significant influence on organizational efforts to implement an effective food safety culture. Practical and academic implications are discussed in detail.

Food safety in Brazilian popular public restaurants: Food handlers' knowledge and practices.

This study aims to assess food safety knowledge and practices of food handlers in popular public restaurants in Brazil. A questionnaire has been applied with 70 food handlers in different municipalities, with questions related to food safety knowledge and food safety self‐reported practices, and observed practices. To check hygienic‐sanitary conditions of restaurants, a checklist has been applied. Regarding food safety knowledge, an average of 72.64% of correct answers has been observed. Food safety self‐reported practices presented 80.71% of adequacy, while observed practices were 75.40%. A positive correlation has been observed between food safety knowledge and self‐reported practices of handlers. The observed food safety practice of handlers presented no correlation with food safety knowledge and self‐reported practices. The average adequacy of hygienic‐sanitary conditions was 68.08%, classifying the units as “regular.” Despite satisfactory results related to the handlers' food safety knowledge and practices, the hygienic‐sanitary conditions of the restaurants are of concern.Practical applicationsThe Popular Restaurant Program in Brazil aims to provide proper food from a nutritional and hygienic‐sanitary aspect at affordable prices. The assessment of food handlers' food safety knowledge and practices and the assessment of hygienic‐sanitary conditions of these units are key in supporting actions aimed at improving the quality of the meals served, as food handlers are the essential agents in the production of meals and can become a source for food contamination if necessary care is not taken. Therefore, conducting this assessment can be an important tool for quality management in these units and can provide improvements in the process of food handling, in addition to ensuring compliance with the objectives proposed by the Popular Restaurant Program.

The weakness and strengths of sanitary inspections in improving food safety and hygiene in commercial restaurants in Rwanda

Background: Food business in restaurants has undergone a significant development and it is attributed to the increase of urban population. This sector has big economic benefits. On the other hand, a large number of people may contract illnesses and others may die as result of eating contaminated food in these food premises. Therefore, sanitary inspections are conducted with the aim to stop food mishandling and to ensure that hygienic measures are taken in commercial restaurants.Objective: The aim of this paper was to highlight some weakness and strengths of sanitary inspections in improving food safety and hygiene in commercial restaurants in Rwanda.Methods: The authors reviewed literature to support their views.Results: Authors reveal that these inspections have some weaknesses such as unclear guidelines or unclear standards, and in some cases these inspections have accused for penalties instead of improving food safety and hygiene in restaurants and other public places.Conclusion: The authors conclude that though there are some strengths but these sanitary inspections might have a little contribution in the improvement of food safety and hygiene in commercial restaurants and other public places. The authors show their outlook for improvement, such as setting up clear standards as well as establishment of policies, laws and guidelines pertaining to the operation of commercial restaurants.Keywords: Commercial restaurants, sanitary inspection, food safety

Food allergy knowledge, attitudes, and resources of restaurant employees

PurposeRestaurants are unique and challenging environments for accommodating food allergies. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate food allergy knowledge, attitudes and resources among restaurant employees, and identify differences based on restaurant mode of operation.Design/methodology/approachA total of 209 food-service workers were surveyed in full-service restaurants across Southern Ontario, Canada. A paper-based questionnaire was used to evaluate participants’ food allergy knowledge, attitudes toward handling food allergy requests and emergencies, and the availability of food allergen resources at the restaurant.FindingsMost participants were knowledgeable about food allergies, and valued being able to provide safe meals. However, there was a general lack of access to important food allergy risk management resources and training. Food allergy attitudes were significantly different between restaurant modes of operation. Also, food allergy training and resources were positively correlated with employee attitudes toward food allergies.Practical implicationsThe results of this study show that engaging employees in food allergy training can contribute to greater levels in employee awareness and confidence in protecting health and safety of restaurant patrons with food allergies. Restaurants that demonstrate a strong preparedness toward handling food allergy requests can deliver a better customer experience and increase customer loyalty.Originality/valueThe findings of this study underscore the need for the restaurant industry, policy makers and food safety educators to work together to develop training programs and relevant resources to support and facilitate food allergy risk management in restaurants.