The role of Optimistic Bias in safe food handling behaviours in the food service sector

Temperature status of domestic refrigerators and its effect on the risk of listeriosis from ready-to-eat (RTE) cooked meat products

Inadequate domestic refrigeration is frequently cited as a factor that contributes to foodborne poisoning and infection, and consumer behaviour in this regard can vary largely. This study provides insight into the temperature profiles of domestic refrigerators in the Netherlands and the impact on the number of listeriosis cases related to ready-to-eat (RTE) cooked meat products. A survey was conducted among Dutch consumers (n = 1020) to assess their knowledge and behaviour related to refrigerators. Out of these participants, 534 measured their refrigerator's temperature, revealing an average temperature of 5.7 °C (standard deviation (SD) of 2.2 °C) with a maximum of 17 °C. Elderly people (65 years and older) had refrigerators with temperatures that were on average 0.6 °C higher than those of younger people (35 years or younger). The 24-hour temperature profiles of an additional set of actively surveyed refrigerators (n = 50) showed that the temperature measured on the upper shelf was significantly higher (mean 7.7 °C, SD 2.7 °C) than the temperature measured on the bottom shelf (5.7 °C, SD 2.1 °C). Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment (QMRA) predicted that the primary factors contributing to the risk of listeriosis were the initial concentration and the time and temperature during household storage. Scenario analysis revealed that storing opened RTE cooked meat products at home for either <7 days or at temperatures <7 °C resulted in a significant reduction of over 80 % in predicted illness cases. Among all illness cases, the elderly represented nearly 90 %. When assessing the impact of the disease in terms of Years of Life Lost (YLL), the contribution of the elderly was 59 %. Targeted communication, particularly directed towards the elderly, on the importance of storing RTE cooked meat products at the recommended temperature on the bottom or middle shelf as well as consuming within two to three days after opening, holds the potential to significantly reduce the number of cases.

Reproducibility and Validity of a Self-Administered Food Safety Assessment Tool on Children and Adolescent's Risk Perception, Knowledge, and Practices

The present study aimed to verify the instrument's reliability and validity for assessing children and adolescents' risk perception, knowledge, and food safety practices in the school context. Moreover, it aimed to test the hypothesis that both application methods (paper and pencil (PAPI) and online) are valid. The instrument comprised three questionnaires and followed a strict protocol to combine online and PAPI models, resulting in five application forms. The sample consisted of 439 Brazilian students from 10 to 14 years old (y/o). The results related to reliability and validity indicated that the knowledge questionnaire presented adequate stability and discriminant validity coefficients. The self-reported practices questionnaire obtained acceptable coefficients of stability and internal consistency. Regarding risk perception data, it was observed that students attribute a low probability of Foodborne Diseases (FBD) outbreaks occurrence and low severity of possible symptoms. In addition, students demonstrated insufficient knowledge and inadequate practices on issues related to failures associated with the time and temperature of preparation, storage, and exposure of food, contamination of food, and consumption of unsafe food. In this context, the reproducibility and validity indices need to be interpreted and discussed correctly, and young people in food safety actions are a priority in facing FBD.

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

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

New Approach to Food Safety Training: A Review of a Six-Step Knowledge-Sharing Model

Significant resources, including both human and financial capital, have been dedicated to developing and delivering food handler training programs to meet government and organizational mandates. Even with the plethora of food safety-oriented training programs, there is scant empirical evidence documenting effectiveness, suggesting the need to rethink the design and delivery of food safety training for food handlers. One underlying assumption of most training programs is that food handlers engage in unsafe practices because of lack of knowledge. As a result, many training curricula are designed to improve knowledge, assuming behavior will change as knowledge increases. However, food handlers often return to the work environment and try to implement the new knowledge with minimal success. One explanation for this is that the training context and the implementation context often differ, making it difficult for the food handler to transfer what they learned into practice. Understanding the connection between knowledge, the organization, and its environment is critical to knowledge implementation. The focus of this review is to describe a six-step knowledge-sharing model. Here, knowledge sharing is broadly defined as the process of creating and then using knowledge to change a practice or behavior. Our proposed knowledge-sharing model includes six steps: generation, adaptation, dissemination, reception, adoption, and implementation. We have organized this model into two dyads: (i) transfer between researcher (i.e., knowledge generators) and educator and (ii) transfer between educator and food handler (i.e., knowledge implementers). To put into practice this proposed model for developing and delivering effective food safety training for food handlers, we have provided suggested actions that can be performed within each step of the knowledge-sharing process.