Organizational factors and safe food handling by food service workers: a scoping review protocol.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this scoping review is to explore and map the scientific evidence on organizational factors related to safe food handling by food service workers to prevent foodborne disease. INTRODUCTION: According to the World Health Organization, more than 600 million people become ill each year due to foodborne diseases. Improper food handling is one of the main causes of such diseases. Despite the growing literature on safe food handling, many studies focus on assessing and discussing cognitive variables, such as food safety knowledge. This indicates a need to study this topic from a new perspective, for example, through its organizational factors. INCLUSION CRITERIA: The review will include quantitative and qualitative studies on food handlers (ie, individuals who have direct or indirect contact with food during their professional duties) working in food services (ie, institutional or commercial establishments). Food handlers involved in industrial processing, planting, harvesting, or working on the street (street food) or in the home will be excluded. Eligible studies will explore the organizational factors of safe food handling that influence employee behavior regarding food production. METHODS: This review will use the JBI methodology for scoping reviews to identify published and unpublished studies in all languages, with no date limit. The following databases will be searched: Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Food Science and Technology Abstracts. A structured search for gray literature will also be conducted. Titles, abstracts, and full texts of articles will be screened by 2 independent reviewers for inclusion, with discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. Data will be extracted using a standardized form. The results will be summarized in tabular or graphical format, accompanied by a narrative summary. KEY DETAILS OF THIS REVIEW PROJECT ARE AVAILABLE IN OPEN SCIENCE FRAMEWORK: https://osf.io/hxfe4.

What is a dark kitchen? A study of consumer's perceptions of deliver-only restaurants using food delivery apps in Brazil.

Dark kitchens are restaurants with no storefronts, no direct customer interaction and delivery-only commercial kitchens that rent out shared or private kitchen spaces to food businesses. The objective of this study is to determine consumers' knowledge about dark kitchens and the factors that influence willingness to pay and intention to purchase meals in this restaurant model. It were surveyed 623 Brazilian consumers. First, consumers' knowledge of the term dark kitchen was determined using specific questions. Then, consumers were presented with the actual meaning of dark kitchens and were asked about their intention to use this restaurant model. To this end, participants were presented with 25 indicators to assess the following constructs: willingness to pay and purchase intention, trust in health authorities, trust in food delivery app, perceived food safety, quality control, consumer experience, and solidarity with the foodservice sector. Overall, 73.4 % of participants reported having heard of the term dark kitchen. Using a descending hierarchical classification, four classes of definitions were found. The factor solidarity with the foodservice sector (ß = 0.440; p < 0.001) had the greatest positive influence on willingness to pay and purchase intention, followed by perceived food safety (ß = 0.273; p < 0.001); quality control (ß = 0.125; p = 0.003); consumer experience (ß = 0.110; p = 0.002) and trust in health authorities (ß = 0.059; p = 0.047). Even if consumers cannot accurately describe what a dark kitchen is, there is a positive intention to purchase food produced in this kitchen model. It is important to develop strategies to promote and improve dark kitchen models. Finally, it is suggested that health authorities and app operators pay more attention to improving food safety in these establishments, as consumers have low risk perception about them.

Job Crafting and Burnout as Predictors of Food Safety Behaviors in the Foodservice Industry.

This study aimed to investigate whether job crafting, burnout, and work engagement predict food safety behaviors in the foodservice industry. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Cuiabá (Brazil) among foodservice workers. Four instruments were used among foodservice workers for the examination: (a) job demands and resources, (b) job satisfaction, (c) burnout, and (d) work engagement. Food safety practices were measured using a validated risk-based checklist. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis model. In this study, 22 restaurants and 302 foodservice workers were examined. It was found that the "job demands-resources" model was valid for foodservice workers, i.e., burnout was strongly predicted by job demands (ß = 0.550; p < 0.001); job resources were a positive predictor of work engagement (ß = 0.258; p < 0.001); and burnout was a negative predictor of work engagement (ß = −0.411; p < 0.001). Food safety violations were predicted by job crafting (ß = −0.125; p = 0.029) and burnout (ß = 0.143; p = 0.016). The results indicate that mitigating burnout and increasing job crafting can be important supporting strategies to improve food safety behaviors.

The use of food delivery apps during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil: The role of solidarity, perceived risk, and regional aspects.

This study aimed to evaluate the use of food delivery apps (FDA) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. A total of 950 questionnaires were collected, covering four Brazilian regions: Southeast, Central-West, Northeast, and South. The data was collected during the peak of the second wave of the pandemic. A questionnaire with 39 measurement items was applied using an online survey. These items were evaluated using a five-point Likert scale covering the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2). The data was analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. About 47% of consumers use FDA weekly. The continuance intention of FDA during the pandemic in Brazil was affected by performance expectancy (ß = 0.496; p < 0.001), social influence (ß = 0.094; p < 0.001), hedonic motivation (ß = 0.068; p = 0.026), price value (ß = 0.103; p < 0.001), habit (ß = 0.305; p < 0.001), frequency of using FDA (ß = 0.051; p = 0.039), and solidarity with the foodservice sector (ß = 0.090; p < 0.001). It was also observed that the continuance intention reduces risk perception (ß = -0.403; p < 0.001), and risk perception reduces the frequency of using FDA (ß = -0.178; p < 0.001). The results indicate that the UTAUT2 strongly explains consumers' continuance intention. Differences in path estimates among Brazilian regions were observed, indicating some regional differences. It was possible to observe a tendency of using FDA during and after the pandemic, motivated by several factors. The FDA developers and foodservice managers could use this data to improve their services. Policies must be established to increase consumer and employee safety during the delivery service.