Behavioral observation and microbiological analysis of older adult consumer's cross-contamination practices in a model domestic kitchen

View/ open
Author
Evans, Ellen W.
Redmond, Elizabeth
Date
2018-03-08Acceptance date
2017-12-04
Type
Article
Publisher
Journal of Food Protection
Embargoed until
2100-01-01
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Older adults are associated with increased incidence of foodborne illness due to increased susceptibility. Therefore, food safety practices are of importance. However, inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes towards food safety have been reported, which may increase implementation of unsafe food handling practices. Data on older adults’ actual food safety behaviors are lacking. This study aims to observe older adults’ food safety practices and link microbiological analysis of kitchen surfaces to identify suspected routes of contamination. Older adults (≥60years) (n=100) prepared a set-meal in a model domestic kitchen sanitized according to a validated protocol to ensure minimal and consistent microbiological load. Food safety behaviors were observed using ceiling-mounted cameras and recorded using a predetermined behavioral checklist. Post-food preparation, surface microbiological contamination was determined. Overall, older adults frequently implemented unsafe food handling practices, 90% failed to implement adequate hand decontamination immediately after handling raw chicken. Statistical analysis suggest that older adults that implemented a greater number of adequate hand decontamination attempts had significantly lower (p <0.001) microbiological contamination of the kitchen following the food preparation session. The novel utilization of behavioral observation in conjunction with microbiological analysis has facilitated identification of potentially unsafe food handling practices as suspected routes of microbiological cross-contamination in a model domestic kitchen. Findings indicate the potential impact of older adult consumers’ unsafe food handling practices on domestic food safety. This innovative approach has determined that considerable proportions of older adults implement behaviors resulting in microbiological cross-contamination that may increase the risk of foodborne illness in the home.
Citation
Evans, E.W. & Redmond, E.C. (2018) “Behavioral observation and microbiological analysis of older adult consumer's cross-contamination practices in a model domestic kitchen.” Journal of Food Protection, 81, (4), pp. 569-581.
Description
This article published in Journal of Food Protection on 08 March 2018 available at https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-17-378
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, subject and abstract.
-
Analysis of older adults' domestic kitchen storage practices in the United Kingdom: identification of risk factors associated with listeriosis
Evans, Ellen W.; Redmond, Elizabeth (International Association for Food Protection, 2015-04-01)Increased listeriosis incidence among older adults (≥60 years) has been reported internationally, with many cases reported to be sporadic and associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) food products with extended refrigerated shelf ... -
Consumer food handling in the home: A review of food safety studies
Redmond, Elizabeth; Griffith, Chris J. (International Association for Food Protection, 2003)Epidemiological data from Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand indicate that a substantial proportion of foodborne disease is attributable to improper food preparation practices in consumers' homes. International ... -
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. ...