Food Safety Knowledge and Behaviors of Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) Program Participants in the United States

Abstract

Although the incidence of foodborne illnesses has declined, thousands of cases are still reported in the United States. In conjunction with industry efforts to reduce foodborne pathogens, consumers play an important role in decreasing foodborne illnesses. To assess food safety knowledge and food handling behaviors of low-income, high-risk populations, a study was conducted with participants of the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). A survey was conducted with 1,598 clients from 87 WIC agencies nationwide. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analyses, t tests, and analyses of variance were calculated. A majority of respondents received food safety information from WIC (78.7%), family (63.1%), and television (60.7%). Most respondents recognized the necessity for washing and sanitizing cutting boards and utensils (94.3%), but only 66.1% knew the correct ways to sanitize. Using a thermometer to ensure doneness of meat was least recognized (23.7%) and used by even fewer respondents (7.7%). The majority (77.4%) used color of meat and/or juices when checking the doneness of ground beef items. Over half of the respondents (58.4%) used acceptable thawing methods, but many thawed frozen meats on the counter (21.0%) or in a sink filled with water (20.6%). There were significant differences in thawing methods, overall knowledge scores, and overall behavior scores among different racial and ethnic groups. White respondents had higher knowledge scores than did Hispanics, and blacks had lower behavior scores than did individuals in the other racial and ethnic groups. Results of the study suggested the need for food safety education for low-income consumers and different messages to be delivered to specific demographic groups.

Evaluation of food handling practice among New Zealanders and other developed countries as a main risk factor for campylobacteriosis rate

“…Some surveys used the Delphi techniques to rank consumer behavior (Hillers, Medeiros, Kendall, Chen, & Dimascola, 2003), while other surveys applied a descriptive analysis (Byrd-Bredbenner, Maurer, Wheatley, Cottone, & Clancy, 2007;Kwon, Wilson, Bednar, & Kennon, 2008;Nesbitt et al, 2009;Sanlier, 2009). Most of these studies are listed in Redmond and Griffith (2003b).…”

Invasive Fungal Infections Acquired from Contaminated Food or Nutritional Supplements: A Review of the Literature

“…For example, during focus groups with resource-limited individuals in New Jersey, reported food management practices included removing mold from cheese and grains and removing spoiled parts of fruits and vegetables (Kempson et al , 2003), although the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises discarding bread, baked goods, soft fruits and vegetables, and soft cheeses containing visible mold (USDA, 2013). In contrast, a nationwide survey of Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children participants found that 94% would throw away an entire package of cream cheese or cottage cheese if mold was present (Kwon et al , 2008). Elderly persons may be especially vulnerable to food insecurity due to economic factors, which is concerning because immunecompromising conditions are more common in this population; a systematic review of studies from developed countries found some evidence that food expenditures and intake decreased as individuals transitioned from employment to retirement (Conklin et al , 2013).…”

Food Safety Training Needs for Evacuation Shelters Operated by Faith-Based Organizations

“…It was apparent that food safety training was not adequately provided to volunteers who are members of the general public. Previous studies showed inadequate food handling practices for the general public (Kwon, Wilson, Bednar, & Kennon, 2008;Patil et al, 2005;Redmond & Griffith, 2003). Therefore, the lack of food safety training may present an increased risk for foodborne illness for a large group of people served at these volunteer-run operations.…”