Document Detail


A camera's view of consumer food-handling behaviors.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  14760565     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To compare consumer food-handling behaviors with the Fight BAC! consumer food-safety recommendations. DESIGN: Subjects were videotaped in their home while preparing a meal. Videotapes were coded according to Fight BAC! recommendations. A food-safety survey was administered and temperature data was collected. SUBJECTS/SETTING: A market research company randomly recruited subjects by telephone. Ninety-nine consumers participated (92 women, seven men). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED: Descriptive statistics were used. RESULTS: Overall, subjects did not follow the Fight BAC! recommendations for safe food handling. Handwashing was inadequate. The average hand wash length was significantly lower than the 20-second recommendation. Only one-third of subjects' hand wash attempts were with soap. Surface cleaning was inadequate with only one-third of surfaces thoroughly cleaned. Moreover, one-third of subjects did not attempt to clean surfaces during food preparation. Nearly all subjects cross-contaminated raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and/or unwashed vegetables with ready-to-eat foods multiple times during food preparation. Unwashed hands were the most common cross-contamination agent. Many subjects undercooked the meat and poultry entrees. Very few subjects used a food thermometer. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Consumers make many food-handling errors during food preparation, increasing their risk of foodborne illness. Dietetics professionals need to familiarize themselves with the Fight BAC! consumer food-safety recommendations; understand where consumers are making food-handling errors; increase food safety awareness; and educate consumers, especially those in high-risk populations, about safe food handling at home.
Authors:
Janet B Anderson; Thomas A Shuster; Kelee E Hansen; Alan S Levy; Anthony Volk
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of the American Dietetic Association     Volume:  104     ISSN:  0002-8223     ISO Abbreviation:  J Am Diet Assoc     Publication Date:  2004 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2004-02-04     Completed Date:  2004-03-09     Revised Date:  2009-11-19    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7503061     Medline TA:  J Am Diet Assoc     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  186-91     Citation Subset:  AIM; IM    
Affiliation:
Utah State University, Logan, USA.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Consumer Product Safety / standards*
Cookery / standards
Female
Food Handling / standards*
Foodborne Diseases / prevention & control*
Guideline Adherence
Guidelines as Topic
Handwashing / standards
Humans
Male
Temperature
Videotape Recording

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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