B02010: The evaluation and application of information on consumer hazards and risk to food safety education.
Wednesday 2 February 2005
This research project will obtain data on domestic food preparation to use for communicating information about hazards and for a food safety health education initiative.
Background
The prevention of food poisoning involves all stages of the food chain and effective food safety strategies require an approach that integrates legislation and education to minimise the risk of pathogenic contamination.
Epidemiological data has shown the domestic environment to be an important location for cases of food poisoning. During the past decade, between 12% and 62% of reported food poisoning outbreaks in England and Wales, Europe and the USA have been associated with food prepared/consumed in the home.
The purpose of this project was to obtain microbiological and observational data on domestic food preparation to use as a basis for communicating information about hazards and risk in a social marketing framework in the context of a food safety health education initiative.
Research Approach
Approaches to be used are:
- Observational techniques to investigate consumer safety practices during food preparation in the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, control kitchen
- Microbiological analysis of the kitchen environment after the preparation of food by consumers for isolation of campylobacter and salmonella
- Moderated focus groups to obtain consumer perceptions of risk, information on food preparation and attitudes to aspects of food safety and food preparation and intervention materials/methods
- A consumer orientated social marketing approach as a framework for the food safety education community initiative
- Evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention using observation and microbiological assessment
Results and findings
Initial Observations/microbiological investigations
Overall consumers handled food with a considerable number and variety of food handling errors. All participants failed to wash/dry hands immediately after handling raw chicken during food preparation and half (43-57%) used the same unwashed/inadequately washed and dried knives or chopping boards following preparation of raw chicken for the preparation of salads and vegetables. Eighty percent of the chicken portions used in the initial handling study were contaminated with campylobacter and 6% with salmonella. campylobacter was isolated from dishcloths, hand-towels, finished dishes and work surfaces.
Re-enactment (repeating) of food preparation sessions
A four-fold increase in the isolation of campylobacter was observed between preparation of a food dish and re-enacted (repeated) preparation of the same dish, suggesting that pathogenic contamination of the domestic environment in initial observation/microbiological study may have been underestimated. Direct cross-contamination from raw chicken to utensils and kitchen surfaces resulted in 86% contamination with campylobacter and salmonella. After handling raw chicken all hands were contaminated after washing with luke-warm water and drying with disposable paper towels, which consequently also became contaminated. However when hands were washed adequately (using running warm water, 2 squirts of liquid soap, production of a lather, followed by rinsing) a 100% decontamination rate was obtained and all campylobacter and/or salmonella had been removed during the process.
Observation and microbiological analysis of meal preparations in the home
Three percent of participants who handled a campylobacter positive chicken contaminated the salad they were preparing and the majority of participants (87%) made hygiene errors, which could have directly or indirectly led to contamination of the salad.
Observational and microbiological data has shown that failure to implement food safety behaviours during food preparation (involving raw poultry) does result in pathogenic contamination of finished dishes and the kitchen environment.
Use of a social marketing approach for communication of information about hazard and risk in a community food safety education initiative significantly improved consumers' food safety practices in the short term.
The data collected from this project will improve knowledge of consumer food safety behaviour and will aid in the development of specific hygiene messages and health education interventions.
Dissemination information
Final report is available from the FSA Library and Information centre. To obtain a copy, please contact the Enquiry Desk,
Dr Elsie Widdowson Library and Information Services, Food Standards Agency, (tel: 020 7276 8181/8182 or email: library&info@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk).
Contact: For any enquiries concerning this research project, please contact the relevant Programme contact or email science@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk