Method triangulation to assess different aspects of food safety culture in food service operations.

The advantages and added value of applying method triangulation to gain a more comprehensive evaluation of the prevailing food safety culture in catering establishments is illustrated by means of a case study. Three methods are applied assessing the food safety culture in food service operations of a Flemish University spread over different locations in the city of Ghent, but centrally managed. Each method sheds light on one of the aspects of 'food safety culture' as defined in the food safety culture conceptual model, in which food safety culture is considered as the interplay between a techno-managerial route/aspect and a human route/aspect. Two system and product related methods, being internal audits and verification of monitoring data of Critical Control Points (CCPs) as part of the HACCP system, both assessing the performance of the food safety management system and as such belonging to the techno-managerial route, are compared with a people related method using the food safety climate self-assessment tool, which is belonging to the human route. By triangulation of these three methods different aspects of the food safety culture at the different locations could be investigated, illustrating how single-method derived results could lead to wrong conclusions. Moreover, by combining the assessment methods case by case, locations in which the hazard of optimistic bias and complacency might exist, can be identified. As such, more tailored and location specific strategies for improvement of food safety management and/or food safety culture can be put in place.

Ensuring food safety in food donations: Case study of the Belgian donation/acceptation chain.

The food donation process in Belgium is mapped and analyzed to identify bottlenecks in compliance with the legal framework and implementation of food safety management, based on literature search and interviews with stakeholders (donors, acceptors, regulators and facilitators) in Belgium and at EU level. The study revealed that the food donation/acceptation chain is far less structured and organized than the conventional food supply chain. The fragmented landscape of many small food banks and charity organizations (acceptors), often directed by and working with volunteers without training in food safety and lack of knowledge of legal food hygiene requirements is a bottleneck to generate trust among food donors and restricts the provision of perishable products in food donations. Lack of refrigerated transport and insufficient cold/freezing capacity in food banks and charity organizations was identified as a barrier to distribute perishable products. Furthermore, in two cities in Flanders (Belgium), at some food donation centers, donated perishable food samples (n=72) were taken and subjected to microbiological analysis to determine their overall food quality, hygiene and food safety status. Twenty-two of 72 analyzed samples showed marginal microbiological quality based on numbers of yeast, lactic acid bacteria or total viable count. In three samples Listeria monocytogenes was detected per 25g among which one ready-to-eat cooked meat product which showed increased numbers of L. monocytogenes (3.5logCFU/g) and Enterobacteriaceae (6.7logCFU/g). Overall, in Belgium, most of the donated foods considers nonperishable foods, with more or less half of the food collected by the food banks being purchased with funds from FEAD (Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived) and thus not derived from food losses. Efforts are being made by facilitators to provide a platform for better coordination of donors and acceptors to make more efficient use of food losses. Regulators at the national level are taking action to clarify and provide some flexibility in food hygiene regulation and initiatives on EU level to facilitate food donation in the combat of food losses are pending. As from the side of the acceptors, it is recommended to professionalize the acceptation chain in Belgium and seek for a more harmonized approach and concerted action.

[Gadolinium-DTPA (Magnevist) as contrast medium for arterial DSA]. / Gadolinium-DTPA (Magnevist) als Kontrastmittel für die arterielle DSA.

16 DSA investigations using intra-arterial Gd-DTPA were performed on 12 patients. The contrast medium was administered either as a 0.5 molar gadolinium solution (commercially available) or diluted with distilled water to a 0.2-0.4 molar gadolinium solution. The injection was made either by pressure injector or by hand. The aortic arch, abdominal aorta and pelvic and lower limb arteries were examined. 14 of the 16 procedures were diagnostically adequate, but compared with iodinated contrast materials, contrast was less marked. There were no cardiovascular, neurological or allergic side effects. Three patients suffered a feeling of heat and one patient had mild pain during the injection. Even large volumes rapidly injected (up to 20 ml/s of the commercially available solution) were well tolerated. DSA with intra-arterial Gd-DTPA seems to be a suitable alternative for vascular imaging if iodine-containing contrast materials are contraindicated.

[Radiation load to the gonads in the sclerosing treatment of varicocele]. / Strahlenbelastung der Gonaden bei der Sklerosierungsbehandlung der Varikozele.

Vague notions concerning the radiation dose to the gonads during sclerosing treatment of varicoceles have lead to the unjust neglect of this form of therapy. Accurate measurements have shown that the dose is less than the dose to the female breast resulting from chest radiographs in two planes, if the treatment proceeds without complication. Although the dose is so low, an attempt has been made to evaluate the risk.