A survey of Kansas beef producers and consumers who participate in business-to-consumer marketing of beef.

Following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, producer and consumer interest in business-to-consumer (B2C) beef sales increased. The objective of the current study was to assess current B2C beef producer and consumer attitudes and understandings of the B2C beef marketing process in order to identify knowledge gaps and strategies to improve producer/consumer interactions. Both producers and customers of local beef were recruited using a large online platform (https://shopkansasfarms.com), and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. In total, 41 B2C beef producers and 174 consumers who had either previously participated in B2C marketing or intended to participate were surveyed. Most producers (69.8%) only produced beef and produced only a small number (1 to 20 head) of animals per year. Many (43.9%) reported selling 100% of beef directly to consumers, while 29.3% reported selling less than 20% through this channel. Almost all (97.3%) of the producers indicated that increased sales directly to consumers would be desirable, with most (87.1%) considering this marketing channel as the most profitable. Marketing beef in smaller portions, including portioned cuts, was popular, reported by more than 62% of producers, while whole carcass sales were lower. Word-of-mouth (91.3%) and social media (65.8%) were the most popular forms of advertisement used by producers and more than one-third of producers (38.9%) reported having trouble with customers regarding a sale. Over 60% of consumers indicated they had purchased B2C beef less than 5 times, with more than 73% indicating that more than 75% of their beef purchased was local. Low take-home weights, portion sizes, and quality were among consumers' most cited troubles. Lack of freezer space (25%), price (24.9%), and quantity of product (41.7%) were reported as the largest barriers to consumer participation in B2C marketing. Both consumers and producers indicated that consumer testimonials would be the most beneficial in improving producer/consumer interactions, with educational materials from government sources viewed as the least beneficial. These results provide a baseline for B2C beef marketing and provide insight into impactful strategies to use to assist in this process.

Probabilistic risk model of norovirus transmission during handling and preparation of fresh produce in school foodservice operations.

Human noroviruses (NoV) are recognized worldwide as important pathogens and the primary cause of foodborne disease outbreaks from contaminated food in the U.S. They are often transmitted by infected food handlers manipulating foods during preparation, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. This paper provides a study to model the transfer of NoV between food handlers and vegetables during salad preparation in school food services based on direct observation data. Three transfer pathways were modeled by considering different initial contamination sources (environment, handlers and contaminated produce). The probability of infection by NoV was also estimated based on the NoV levels at consumption obtained from each simulated transfer pathway. A scenario analysis ranging a wide concentration from 102 to 107 NoV infective particles was performed to represent different levels of NoV in the initial contamination sources. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was applied to identify the most important model inputs and determine the safest handling practices to be implemented in school food service operations. The pathway describing transfer from contaminated surfaces or handlers to foods indicated that initial levels of ≤104 NoV particles/fomite resulted in <0.5% cases per serving of NoV infection. When initial levels were higher, % cases of NoV infection was estimated to be ca. 3%. This rise in % cases of infection was linked to higher doses (5% serving with ≥15 NoV particles/serving) and prevalence levels at consumption (>0.2). In the pathway modeling cross contamination from contaminated vegetables to non-contaminated vegetables, all scenarios could lead to infected individuals, although number of cases of infection were lower (<1.3%), despite concentration levels were higher. On the contrary, for this pathway, prevalence was 2-fold lower than that observed in the pathways describing transfer from contaminated surfaces and hands. Based on the sensitivity analysis, NoV transfers to fresh produce may be minimized by improving hand washing, and therefore effective training programs need to be carried out specifically addressing hand washing. Moreover, the produce's washing step showed to be an effective control measure, depending on the desinfectant efficacy, by reducing % cases of NoV infection from 6 to 1%. The model in this study might be used, in the future, to evaluate the impact on the risk associated with NoV transmission of specific and effective training programs, aimed at food chain operators.

Adequate Hand Washing and Glove Use Are Necessary To Reduce Cross-Contamination from Hands with High Bacterial Loads.

Hand washing and glove use are the main methods for reducing bacterial cross-contamination from hands to ready-to-eat food in a food service setting. However, bacterial transfer from hands to gloves is poorly understood, as is the effect of different durations of soap rubbing on bacterial reduction. To assess bacterial transfer from hands to gloves and to compare bacterial transfer rates to food after different soap washing times and glove use, participants' hands were artificially contaminated with Enterobacter aerogenes B199A at ∼9 log CFU. Different soap rubbing times (0, 3, and 20 s), glove use, and tomato dicing activities followed. The bacterial counts in diced tomatoes and on participants' hands and gloves were then analyzed. Different soap rubbing times did not significantly change the amount of bacteria recovered from participants' hands. Dicing tomatoes with bare hands after 20 s of soap rubbing transferred significantly less bacteria (P < 0.01) to tomatoes than did dicing with bare hands after 0 s of soap rubbing. Wearing gloves while dicing greatly reduced the incidence of contaminated tomato samples compared with dicing with bare hands. Increasing soap washing time decreased the incidence of bacteria recovered from outside glove surfaces (P < 0.05). These results highlight that both glove use and adequate hand washing are necessary to reduce bacterial cross-contamination in food service environments.

Effectiveness of Healthy Menu Changes in a Nontrainee Military Dining Facility.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of implementing the Initial Military Training (IMT) menu standards in nontrainee dining facilities (DFAC) on food selection, nutrient intake, and satisfaction of soldiers. Participants were recruited during lunch before and 3 weeks after the menu changes. Direct observations, digital photography, and plate waste methods were used to assess soldiers' food selection and consumption, along with a survey assessing soldiers' meal satisfaction under the two menu standards. Descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests were used to summarize and compare the data. A total of 172 and 140 soldiers participated before and after menu changes, respectively. Soldiers consumed 886 kcals (38.6% from total fat and 11.2% from saturated fat) and 1,784 mg of sodium before the menu change. Three weeks after the change, all figures improved (p < 0.01). The percentage of healthier food selections mirrored food items served at the DFAC and improved after the intervention (p < 0.001). There were no differences observed in overall satisfaction and meal acceptability after the intervention. Our findings suggest implementing the Initial Military Training menu standards in nontrainee Army DFACs is feasible and has the potential to improve the overall healthfulness of soldiers' food selection and consumption.

Food safety training needs at evacuation shelters operated by faith-based organizations.

The authors conducted a survey to identify food safety training needs at evacuation shelters operated by faith-based organizations (FBOs) in four hurricane-prone states. Five thousand randomly selected FBO leaders were asked questions about their food safety attitudes and food handling practices at evacuation shelters. Descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis of variance were calculated to summarize and prioritize the responses. Results from 138 leaders revealed that on average, 590 +/- 4,787 evacuees were served for 36 +/- 72 days at FBO-operated shelters. Only 19.6% felt they were well prepared for the shelter. Only 5.8% had professional food preparation staff and many accepted hot (47.8%) and cold (37%) prepared food donations. Some lacked adequate refrigerator (18.8%) or freezer (16.7%) spaces, but 40% kept hot food leftovers for later use. The majority did not provide food safety training before opening the shelters (73.2%), yet 76.9% said they will provide food to evacuation shelters again. The results show a need for food safety training and specific strategies for training at FBOs.

The exploration of effects of Chinese cultural values on the attitudes and behaviors of Chinese restaurateurs toward food safety training.

Foodborne illness is a challenge in the production and service of ethnic foods. The purpose of the study described in this article was to explore variables influencing the behaviors of U.S. Chinese restaurant owners/operators regarding the provision of food safety training in their restaurants. Seventeen major Chinese cultural values were identified through individual interviews with 20 Chinese restaurant owners/operators. Most participants felt satisfied with their previous health inspections. Several expressed having difficulty, however, following the health inspectors' instructions and in understanding the health inspection report. A few participants provided food safety training to their employees due to state law. Lack of money, time, labor/energy, and a perceived need for food safety training were recognized as major challenges to providing food safety training in Chinese restaurants. Videos, case studies, and food safety training handbooks were the most preferred food safety training methods of Chinese restaurant owners/operators, and Chinese was the preferred language in which to conduct the training.

Food safety knowledge and behaviors of women, infant, and children (WIC) program participants in the United States.

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.

Perceived job importance and job performance satisfaction of selected clinical nutrition management responsibilities.

A nationwide survey of clinical nutrition managers was conducted to assess perceived importance of selected job responsibilities and perceived performance satisfaction of those job responsibilities. A questionnaire was developed to achieve the study objectives, validated by an expert panel, and pilot-tested prior to data collection. All members of the American Dietetic Association's Clinical Nutrition Management dietetic practice group (N=1,668) were asked to rate the importance of selected job responsibilities and their satisfaction with those responsibilities using Likert-type scales with descriptions. Results revealed that clinical nutrition managers perceived all job responsibilities listed in the questionnaire to be important (ie, the mean score of each responsibility was >3.0 of a 4.0 scale). Respondents rated regulatory-related job responsibilities as most important and were most satisfied with their performance of these responsibilities. Following regulatory-related responsibilities, clinical nutrition managers perceived patient satisfaction and staff retention to be more important than other responsibilities. In general, clinical nutrition managers were more satisfied with their job performance for job responsibilities that they ranked as more important.

Prevalence of outsourcing and perception of clinical nutrition managers on performance of health care dietetics services.

A nationwide survey of clinical dietitians and clinical nutrition managers was conducted to assess the prevalence of outsourcing in health care dietetics services and to evaluate perceived performance of dietetics services. A questionnaire was developed, validated by an expert panel, and pilot tested prior to data collection. Members of the Clinical Nutrition Management Dietetic Practice Group (N=1,668) were selected as the study sample. Of 431 respondents, 152 (35.3%) indicated that management of both patient and cafeteria foodservices was outsourced. When mean scores of perceived performance ratings were compared using t test, respondents from self-operated facilities rated several items related to patient and cafeteria food quality and material and human resource utilization higher than respondents at contract-managed facilities. No significant differences were found in performance related to decision-making process, buying power, or training programs. Results suggest that careful weighing of advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing is needed before making decisions regarding outsourcing dietetics services.