A review of consumer food safety research to identify domestic risk factors associated with listeriosis

View/ open
Author
Evans, Ellen W.
Redmond, Elizabeth
Date
2016-05-12Acceptance date
2016-03-01
Type
Poster
Publisher
International Association for Food Protection,
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Introduction: Listeriosis is associated with the highest hospitalization and mortality rates of foodborne illnesses; listeriosis incidence has doubled in recent years in Europe. Consumer recommendations to reduce listeriosis risk factors include following ‘use-by’ dates on unopened ready-to-eat (RTE) food products, avoiding prolonged storage of opened RTE foods and ensuring safe refrigeration temperatures. Currently, data detailing consumer cognition and behaviour associated with listeriosis risk factors are lacking.
Purpose: This study aimed to review consumer food safety studies to consolidate and cumulatively determine consumer cognitive and behavioural risk factors that may be associated with listeriosis in the home.
Methods: Consumer food safety research data (n=200) were reviewed and analysed using a content analysis approach. Findings were summarized according to assessment of knowledge, attitudes, self-reported practices, and/or actual behaviours of listeriosis risk factors.
Results: Overall, only 43% of studies assessed consumer cognitive or behavioural data associated with listeriosis risk factors; 27% assessed refrigeration practices, 23% determined storage length of opened RTE foods and 21% ascertain adherence of ‘use-by’ dates. Majority (71%) of studies utilized survey based data collection methods (questionnaires/interviews), consequently, the majority of findings were based on self-report (78%) and knowledge (59%). Observation (21%) and focus groups (8%) were less commonly used. Consequently findings of this study indicate that actual behaviours and attitudinal data relating to listeriosis risk factors are lacking. Although findings suggest consumers may deviate from recommended practices, a lack of observational data suggests a need to determine the actual behaviours of consumers in domestic kitchens in relation to listeriosis risk factors.
Significance: This review reveals a need for in-depth research to determine food safety attitudes and actual behaviours of consumers in conjunction with self-reported practices and knowledge of listeriosis risk factors. Such data combined with review findings would inform development of targeted food safety education to reduce risks associated with listeriosis in the home.
Journal/conference proceeding
International Association for Food Protection, European Symposium on Food Safety, Athens, Greece.;
Citation
Evans, E. W. & Redmond, E. C. (2016) A review of consumer food safety research to identify domestic risk factors associated with listeriosis. Poster presented at the International Association for Food Protection, European Symposium on Food Safety, Athens, Greece. 11th - 13th May 2016
Description
Poster presented at the International Association for Food Protection, European Symposium on Food Safety, Athens, Greece. 11th - 13th May 2016
Sponsorship
Cardiff Metropolitan University (Grant ID: Cardiff Metropolian (Internal))
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, subject and abstract.
-
Behavioral risk factors associated with listeriosis in the home: a review of consumer food safety studies
Evans, Ellen W.; Redmond, Elizabeth (International Association for Food Protection, 2014-03)Listeria monocytogenes causes human listeriosis, which is associated with the highest hospitalization and mortality rates of all foodborne illnesses. In recent years, the incidence of listeriosis has doubled in Europe, ... -
Comparison of listeriosis risk factors among three ‘at-risk’ consumer groups: pregnant women, older adults and chemotherapy patients
Evans, Ellen W.; Redmond, Elizabeth (International Association for Food Protection, 2016-08)Introduction: Due to weakened immune function, listeriosis is particularly associated with ‘at-risk’ consumers, predominantly affecting pregnant-women, older-adults (aged ≥ 60 years) and people receiving chemotherapy. ... -
Older adult consumer knowledge, attitudes and self-reported storage practices of ready-to-eat food products and risks associated with listeriosis
Evans, Ellen W.; Redmond, Elizabeth (International Association for Food Protection, 2016-02)Consumer implementation of recommended food safety practices, specifically relating to time and temperature control of ready-to-eat (RTE) food products associated with listeriosis are crucial. This is particularly the case ...