A Multidisciplinary Perspective of Ultra-Processed Foods and Associated Food Processing Technologies: A View of the Sustainable Road Ahead.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are negatively perceived by part of the scientific community, the public, and policymakers alike, to the extent they are sometimes referred to as not "real food". Many observational surveys have linked consumption of UPFs to adverse health outcomes. This narrative synthesis and scientific reappraisal of available evidence aims to: (i) critically evaluate UPF-related scientific literature on diet and disease and identify possible research gaps or biases in the interpretation of data; (ii) emphasize the innovative potential of various processing technologies that can lead to modifications of the food matrix with beneficial health effects; (iii) highlight the possible links between processing, sustainability and circular economy through the valorisation of by-products; and (iv) delineate the conceptual parameters of new paradigms in food evaluation and classification systems. Although greater consumption of UPFs has been associated with obesity, unfavorable cardiometabolic risk factor profiles, and increased risk for non-communicable diseases, whether specific food processing techniques leading to ultra-processed formulations are responsible for the observed links between UPFs and various health outcomes remains elusive and far from being understood. Evolving technologies can be used in the context of sustainable valorisation of food processing by-products to create novel, low-cost UPFs with improved nutritional value and health potential. New paradigms of food evaluation and assessment should be funded and developed on several novel pillars-enginomics, signalling, and precision nutrition-taking advantage of available digital technologies and artificial intelligence. Research is needed to generate required scientific knowledge to either expand the current or create new food evaluation and classification systems, incorporating processing aspects that may have a significant impact on health and wellness, together with factors related to the personalization of foods and diets, while not neglecting recycling and sustainability aspects. The complexity and the predicted immense size of these tasks calls for open innovation mentality and a new mindset promoting multidisciplinary collaborations and partnerships between academia and industry.

Trade vulnerability assessment in the grain-importing countries: A case study of China.

Since the 2008 global food crisis, food security vulnerability has been a prominent topic in the food policy debate. However, vulnerability is inherently difficult to conceptualize and is more challenging to operationalize and measure. This study constructs a mathematical model and takes China as a case study to measure the vulnerability and sensitivity of China with its partners in the international grain trade. The results show that 1) the degree of interdependence between China and its grain trading partners is asymmetric, which generates trade vulnerability or economic power; 2) the vulnerability of China's food trade shows a high spatiotemporal heterogeneity among countries: the higher vulnerability zones are concentrated in North America and Northeast Asia, and the scope of the higher vulnerability zones tends to expand; 3) Our results also reveal that China also has different sensitivities to fluctuations in grain markets from different countries, and the higher sensitive zones of the grain trade in China are mainly distributed in America, Europe, and Oceania. The main contribution of this paper is the development of a methodology for food trade vulnerability assessment and examines the influence of international food trade on food security in importing countries, measured using the vulnerability index and sensitivity index. Nevertheless, the conclusions of this study can be considered preliminary, and there remains great potential for future studies to deepen and broaden our analyses further.

Economic analysis and drying kinetics of a geothermal-assisted solar dryer for tomato paste drying.

BACKGROUND: The economic value of many fruit and vegetables is often linked to the ability to preserve such natural products. In the case of tomatoes, the manufacture of 1 kg of powder or concentrate requires the evaporation of about 16 kg water kg-1 dry matter. In the present work, the effectiveness and economic analysis of solar drying systems for drying of tomato paste with and without geothermal water heat exchanger (GWHE) were studied. RESULTS: The GWHE integration significantly increased the recorded drying temperature up to 53.41 °C, with an improvement of 11.5 °C compared to the conventional dryer. Moreover, the drying temperature inside the drying chamber exceeded ambient temperature after sunset and at night by 30.8 °C. GWHE ensured a continuous drying process, while drying time was 22 consecutive hours, compared to the basic dryer with 18 h in 3 days. Effective moisture diffusivity was found to be 1.617 × 10-9 and 1.202 × 10-9  m2  s-1 for hybrid and basic drying systems, respectively, using the slope. Three methods were used to perform economic analysis. The cumulative present worth of savings, at 23 382.6 USD, is much higher than the capital cost of the hybrid dryer, at 467 USD. The payback period is quite acceptable, at 2.21 years as compared to dryer lifetime of 15 years. Therefore, the hybrid dryer will dry tomato paste without additional charges for 12.79 years and is recommended for a large-scale tomato paste dryer. CONCLUSION: The hybrid system with GWHE ensures a continuous drying process during night-time, in addition to reduced drying time. The economic study revealed a high feasibility for the hybrid dryer, with a short payback period. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluation of Norovirus Reduction in Environmentally Contaminated Pacific Oysters During Laboratory Controlled and Commercial Depuration.

Norovirus contamination of oysters is the lead cause of non-bacterial gastroenteritis and a significant food safety concern for the oyster industry. Here, norovirus reduction from Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), contaminated in the marine environment, was studied in laboratory depuration trials and in two commercial settings. Norovirus concentrations were measured in oyster digestive tissue before, during and post-depuration using the ISO 15216-1 quantitative real-time RT-PCR method. Results of the laboratory-based studies demonstrate that statistically significant reductions of up to 74% of the initial norovirus GII concentration was achieved after 3 days at 17-21 °C and after 4 days at 11-15 °C, compared to 44% reduction at 7-9 °C. In many trials norovirus GII concentrations were reduced to levels below 100 genome copies per gram (gcg-1; limit of quantitation; LOQ). Virus reduction was also assessed in commercial depuration systems, routinely used by two Irish oyster producers. Up to 68% reduction was recorded for norovirus GI and up to 90% for norovirus GII reducing the geometric mean virus concentration close to or below the LOQ. In both commercial settings there was a significant difference between the levels of reduction of norovirus GI compared to GII (p < 0.05). Additionally, the ability to reduce the norovirus concentration in oysters to < LOQ differed when contaminated with concentrations below and above 1000 gcg-1. These results indicate that depuration, carried out at elevated (> 11 °C) water temperatures for at least 3 days, can reduce the concentration of norovirus in oysters and therefore consumer exposure providing a practical risk management tool for the shellfish industry.

Optimal raw material formulation to produce pressed pork ham at the least cost.

This study optimized material use for making pressed pork hams (PPHs) using the least cost formulation program. Based on protein (P) content, different fat (2.5, 3.0, and 4.0P) and moisture (4.0P + 10, 4.0P + 15, 4.0P + 20, and 4.0P + 25) ratios were applied to make PPHs. Total expressible fluid, cooking loss, and purge loss were highest in PPHs formulated with 4.0P + 25 water (P < 0.05). With increasing fat ratio, lightness increased, but redness decreased (P < 0.05). Lipid oxidation was not affected by moisture ratio (P > 0.05). Hardness, gumminess, and adhesiveness decreased with increased fat and moisture (P < 0.05). PPH cost was reduced by fat and moisture. These results suggest that the formulations with 4.0P + 15 moisture, regardless of fat ratio, are recommended for PPHs due to their moderate cost and quality characteristics. In addition, greater cost savings can be expected by further subdividing raw material criteria for industrial applications.

The Cost of Diets According to Their Caloric Share of Ultraprocessed and Minimally Processed Foods in Belgium.

BACKGROUND: This study estimated the monetary cost of diets with higher and lower caloric shares of ultraprocessed food products (UPF) and unprocessed/minimally processed foods (MPF) in Belgium for various sociodemographic groups. METHODS: Data from the latest nationally representative Food Consumption Survey (FCS) 2014-2015 (n = 3146; 3-64 years) were used. Dietary data were collected through two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls (food diaries for children). Average prices for >2000 food items (year 2014) were derived from GfK ConsumerScan panel data and linked with foods consumed in the FCS. Foods eaten were categorized by their extent of processing using the NOVA classification. The average caloric share (percentage of daily energy intake) of UPF and MPF were calculated. The mean diet cost was compared across the UPF and MPF contribution tertiles, using linear regression. RESULTS: The average price per 100 kcal for UPF was significantly cheaper (EUR 0.55; 95%CI = 0.45-0.64) than for MPF (EUR 1.29; 95% CI = 1.27-1.31). UPF contributed between 21.9% (female adults) and 29.9% (young boys), while MPF contributed between 29.5% (male adolescents) and 42.3% (female adults) to the daily dietary cost. The contribution of MPF to the daily dietary cost was significantly higher for individuals with a higher household education level compared to those with a lower household education level (p < 0.01). Adjusted for covariates, the average dietary cost per 2000 kcal was significantly lower for individuals in the highest compared to the lowest tertile for the proportion of daily energy consumed from UPF (EUR -0.37 ± 0.13; p = 0.006), and significantly higher for individuals in the highest compared to the lowest tertile for proportion of daily energy consumed from MPF (EUR 1.18 ± 0.12, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Diets with a larger caloric share of UPF were significantly cheaper than those with a lower contribution of these products, while the opposite was found for MPF. Policies that improve relative affordability and accessibility of MPF are recommended.

Effect of the sodium reduction and smoking system on quality and safety of smoked salmon (Salmo salar).

Excessive sodium (Na) intake has been associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, sodium reduction is a public health challenge worldwide. The aim of this study was to develop smoked salmon with a reduced Na content. Sodium chloride (NaCl) was replaced by potassium chloride (KCl) at 25% and 50% (molar replacement) and studied in combination with two smoking procedures (natural wood and liquid smoke) as well as two smoking temperatures (18-19 °C or 56 °C). Smoked salmon samples were characterized by physicochemical, sensory and microbiological analyses. No major differences were observed regarding physicochemical properties in the studied treatments. Smoked samples with 50% of NaCl replaced by KCl were slightly more bitter than those with 25% whereas samples with 25% of replacement did not show differences to those with non-reduced Na content (5 g of added NaCl per 100 g of salmon). Molar Na:K ratio decreased from 4,3 in controls to 1,4 and 0,6 in samples with a NaCl reduction level of 25% and 50% respectively. Microbiological assessment indicates that 2-week shelf-life would be appropriate and safe in terms of accomplishment of the EU regulation, taking into account foreseeable storage temperatures (up to 8 °C). Thus, it is possible to achieve a reduction of 25-50% of NaCl in smoked salmon by replacing NaCl by KCl and considerer this product as a "source" of K.

Inversión económica versus control de las buenas prácticas de manipulación / Economic investment versus control of good handling practices

Una buena higiene requiere de un lugar estructuralmente placentero y la aplicación de las Buenas Practicas de manipulación (BPM). Identificar que ocurre con las BPM en un centro de elaboración de alimentos en La Habana después de una cuantiosa inversión y cuál es la opinión de los manipuladores es el propósito del trabajo. Se aplicó la guía de Evaluación Sanitaria de Hoteles, elaborada por el Ministerio de Salud Pública de Cuba determinándose los aspectos deficientes. Se encuestaron los manipuladores y se evaluó el control de las BPM. Se realizaron 2 inspecciones una inicial anterior a la reparación y una posterior, se comprobó que existió mejoría de las condiciones higiénico sanitario pero las deficiencias entrenamiento/procedimiento se mantenían en el segundo lugar lo que apunta a la falta de sensibilización de los manipuladores y la administración. Los trabajadores plantean varios factores como elementos desfavorables como la no exigencia y control, la inestabilidad de la dirección entre otros. Además realizaron propuestas como poner carteles para enfatizar conductas, reconocimiento al manipulador que cumple con las BPM, apoyo y exigencia administrativa. En este centro cuando se valoró el control de la dirección se comprobó que no era sistemático que existían pocas evidencias y no se había diseñado un plan de mejoras.

We think that a nice, shining place, which is attractive to us, assures the correct hygiene. It is indisputable that a good hygiene needs of a place structurally pleasant to our senses but that also it agree with the hygiene norms, if this exists an excellent base is created for the application of the good practices of manipulation. To identify what is happen in a center of food elaboration in Havana after a large investment and what the opinion about the manipulators is to increase the employment of the good practices of manipulation. Two examinations were realized an initial previous to the repair and a later one, it was proved that improvement of the conditions increase hygienic sanitarily but the shortcomings training / procedure were supported in the second place what points at the absence of sensitization of the manipulators and the administration. The workers raise several factors as unfavorable elements: as not demand and control, the instability of the direction between others. Also they realized proposals like putting cartels to emphasize conducts, stimulation of the out-standing manipulator, support and administrative demand. In this center when the control of the direction was valued it was proved that it was not systematical that few evidences existed and a progress plan had not been designed.

Socio-demographic correlates of availability of adequate iodine in household salt: a community-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the availability of adequately iodized salt at a household level and associated factors in Arba Minch town, South Ethiopia using the gold standard technique, the iodometric titration. RESULTS: 41.8% (95% CI (confidence interval) 38.6 to 45.1) of households had inadequately iodized salt, and 9.3% (95% CI 7.5 to 11.4) had an iodine content below 10 ppm (parts per million). Compared to households with a monthly income of greater than 2000 ETB (Ethiopian Birr), households with a monthly income between 1000 ETB to 2000 ETB (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.52, 95% CI 0.390.36 to 00.77) and main food handlers aged 30 years or above compared to those aged less than 20 years of age (aOR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.91) had higher odds of having adequately iodized salt. Food handler's knowledge and practice were not found to be correlated with the availability of adequately iodized salt in household salt.

Safety and Health Programs in Alaska's Seafood Processing Industry: Interviews with Safety and Health Managers.

Background: The seafood processing industry is critical to Alaska's economy and hazardous to workers; however, limited research has addressed workers' safety and health. Safety and health program management is a decisive factor in preventing fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. We interviewed managers to gain their views on their safety and health programs.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 upper-level managers who oversaw programs for Alaskan worksites. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Qualitative content analysis techniques, including inductive coding, were utilized to explore participants' experiences and views regarding: management and workers' roles; hazard control systems; safety and health training; regulatory and economic factors; and programs' challenges and successes.Results: The 14 participants represented 13 companies that operated 32 onshore plants and 30 vessels with processing capabilities. Participants reported managing programs for an estimated 68% of the Alaskan seafood processing industry's workforce. Based on participants' responses, we identified five factors that could be modified to improve safety and health industry-wide: manager training and knowledge sharing; worker training; organizational aspects related to safety culture; application of ergonomic principles; and work hours. Participants reported that fully engaging workers in programs was beneficial.Conclusions: Industry members should more widely share their best practices for protecting workers' safety and health. Occupational safety and health practitioners and researchers should support the development and evaluation of (a) training for non/limited-English-speaking-workers, (b) ergonomic interventions, and (c) fatigue risk management systems. Future research should engage worksite managers and workers to characterize their safety and health experiences and needs.

Nutrient Cost-Effectiveness of Fortified Blended Food Aid Products.

BACKGROUND: Sorghum-Soy Blend (SSB) and Sorghum-Cowpea Blend (SCB) fortified blended food aid porridge products were developed as alternatives to Corn-Soy Blend Plus (CSB+) and Super Cereal Plus (SC+), the most widely used fortified blended food aid products. However, the cost and nutrient cost-effectiveness of these products procured from different geographical areas have not been determined. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to determine the nutrient cost-effectiveness of SSB and SCB compared to existing fortified blended foods. METHODS: Nutritional data as well as ingredient, processing, and transportation cost for SSB, SCB, and existing fortified blended foods were compiled. Using the omega value, the ratio of the fortified blended food's Nutrient Value Score to the total cost of the fortified blended food divided by an identical ratio of a different fortified blended food or the same fortified blended food produced in a different country and the nutrient cost-effectiveness of each of the fortified blended foods procured in the United States and several African countries were determined. RESULTS: Both CSB+ and SC+ are less expensive than SSB and SCB, but they also have lower Nutrient Value Scores of 7.7 and 8.6, respectively. However, the omega values of CSB+ and SC+ are all above 1 when compared to SSB and SCB, suggesting that the existing fortified blended foods are more nutrient cost-effective. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing the nutrient cost-effectiveness of various food aid products could provide valuable information to food aid agencies prior to making procurement decisions.

Efficacy of Food Safety Training in Commercial Food Service.

Proper food safety training is essential to decrease incidences and overall rates of foodborne illnesses and outbreaks. Though many commercial restaurants should provide proper food safety training to food handler employees, this training is not always offered or effective. Here, we summarize the results of a primary literature study concerning the effectiveness of food safety training in commercial settings. The literature chosen for review contained only studies with experimental food safety training, with before and after training data. Through evaluation of these studies, the best practice for ensuring effective training and follow-through were the use of food safety training programs, which incorporated both knowledge and behavior-based training. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Food safety managers in food service establishments may consider reevaluating their current food safety training program to incorporate behavioral-based food safety training in addition to knowledge-based training.

Cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of dried organic pasta: assessment and potential mitigation measures.

BACKGROUND: In several Environmental Product Declarations, the business-to-business carbon footprint (CFCDC ) of durum wheat semolina dried pasta ranged from 0.57 to 1.72 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e ) kg-1 . In this work, the business-to-consumer carbon footprint (CFCG ) of 1 kg of dry decorticated organic durum wheat semolina pasta, as packed in 0.5 kg polypropylene bags by a South Italian medium-sized pasta factory in the years 2016 and 2017, was assessed in compliance with the Publicly Available Specification 2050 standard method. RESULTS: Whereas CFCDC was mostly conditioned by the greenhouse gases emitted throughout durum wheat cultivation (0.67 vs 1.12 kg CO2e kg-1 ), CFCG was mainly dependent on the use and post-consume phases (0.68 vs 1.81 kg CO2e kg-1 ). CFCG was more or less affected by the pasta types and packing formats used, since it varied from +0.3 to +14.8% with respect to the minimum score estimated (1.74 kg CO2e kg-1 ), which corresponded to long goods packed in 3 kg bags for catering service. Once the main hotspots had been identified, CFCG was stepwise reduced by resorting to a series of mitigation actions. CONCLUSION: Use of more eco-sustainable cooking practices, organic durum wheat kernels resulting from less impacting cultivation techniques, and renewable resources to generate the thermal and electric energy needs reduced CFCG by about 58% with respect to the above reference case. Finally, by shifting from road to rail freight transport and shortening the supply logistics of dry pasta and grains, a further 5% reduction in CFCG was achieved. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

How Can the Value and Use of Egg Yolk Be Increased?

The major driving force for the egg consumption in the United States over the past few decades was processed egg. However, the consumption of egg through the processed egg reached the plateau in recent years because of the imbalance in the demands between the egg white and yolk products. The consumer demands for egg white products are very high while those for the egg yolk, the co-product of dried egg white, are low because of the negative perceptions on egg yolk. Two key approaches that can be used to increase the value and use of egg yolk are: (1) developing new commodity products by fractionating egg yolk and apply them in various food processing, and (2) separating functional proteins and lipids from yolk and use them as is or further develop functional peptides and functional lipids and use them as pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical agents. These approaches can diversify the use of egg yolk, which eventually will help increase the consumption of egg. This review (1) discusses the current use of egg yolk products and the development of new functional commodity products from egg yolk, (2) review the important functional components in egg yolk and overview the current separation methods and their applications, (3) discuss the production of functional peptides and lipids using the separated egg proteins and lipids, and (4) suggest the future directions for the best use of egg yolk components. Development of scale-up production methods, which is vital for the practical applications, is discussed when appropriate.

Energy issues in microwave food processing: A review of developments and the enabling potentials of solid-state power delivery.

The enormous magnitude and variety of microwave applications in household, commercial and industrial food processing creates a strong motivation for improving the energy efficiency and hence, sustainability of the process. This review critically assesses key energy issues associated with microwave food processing, focusing on previous energy performance studies, energy performance metrics, standards and regulations. Factors affecting energy-efficiency are categorised into source, load and source-load matching factors. This highlights the need for highly-flexible and controllable power sources capable of receiving real-time feedback on load properties, and effecting rapid control actions to minimise reflections, heating non-uniformities and other imperfections that lead to energy losses. A case is made for the use of solid-state amplifiers as alternatives to conventional power sources, magnetrons. By a full-scale techno-economic analysis, including energy aspects, it is shown that the use of solid-state amplifiers as replacements to magnetrons is promising, not only from an energy and overall technical perspective, but also in terms of economics.

Recent developments in high efficient freeze-drying of fruits and vegetables assisted by microwave: A review.

Microwave heating has been applied in the drying of high-value solids as it affords a number of advantages, including shorter drying time and better product quality. Freeze-drying at cryogenic temperature and extremely low pressure provides the advantage of high product quality, but at very high capital and operating costs due partly to very long drying time. Freeze-drying coupled with a microwave heat source speeds up the drying rate and yields good quality products provided the operating unit is designed and operated to achieve the potential for an absence of hot spot developments. This review is a survey of recent developments in the modeling and experimental results on microwave-assisted freeze-drying (MFD) over the past decade. Owing to the high costs involved, so far all applications are limited to small-scale operations for the drying of high-value foods such as fruits and vegetables. In order to promote industrial-scale applications for a broader range of products further research and development efforts are needed to offset the current limitations of the process. The needs and opportunities for future research and developments are outlined.

Trends in Ultra-Processed Food Purchases from 1984 to 2016 in Mexican Households.

Global trade agreements have shaped the food system in ways that alter the availability, accessibility, affordability, and desirability of ready-to-eat foods. We assessed the time trends of ultra-processed foods purchases in Mexican households from 1984 to 2016. Cross-sectional data from 15 rounds of the National Income and Expenditure Survey (1984, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016) were analyzed. Food and beverage purchases collected in a daily record instrument (over seven days) were classified according to their degree of processing according to the NOVA food framework: (1) Unprocessed or minimally processed foods; (2) processed culinary ingredients; (3) processed foods; and (4) ultra-processed foods. From 1984 to 2016, the total daily energy purchased decreased from 2428.8 to 1875.4 kcal/Adult Equivalent/day, there was a decrease of unprocessed or minimally processed foods (from 69.8% to 61.4% kcal) and processed culinary ingredients (from 14.0% to 9.0% kcal), and an increase of processed foods (from 5.7% to 6.5% kcal) and ultra-processed foods (from 10.5% to 23.1% kcal). Given that ultra-processed foods purchases have doubled in the last three decades and unprocessed or minimally processed foods purchased have gradually declined, future strategies should promote the consumption of unprocessed or minimally processed foods, and discourage ultra-processed foods availability and accessibility in Mexico.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Electrostatic versus Conventional Sprayer with Commercial Antimicrobials To Inactivate Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter jejuni for Eggs and Economic Feasibility Analysis.

This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of antimicrobials sprayed by electrostatic versus conventional sprayer for inactivation of Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter jejuni on eggs and to determine the economic feasibility of these treatments. Eggs were dip inoculated with overnight cultures (18 h) of Salmonella Typhimurium, Salmonella Tennessee, a two-strain mixture of L. monocytogenes, and a three-strain mixture of C. jejuni (microaerophilic condition). Inoculated eggs were then not sprayed or subjected to electrostatic and conventional spraying with peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 0.1%), lactic acid (5.0%), lactic and citric acid blend (2.5%), sodium hypochlorite (SH; 50 ppm), and SaniDate-5.0 (SD [a mixture of PAA and H2O2]; 0.25%) for 30 s (15 s each side). Surviving bacteria on eggshells were recovered on xylose lysine Tergitol 4 agar ( Salmonella), modified Oxford agar ( L. monocytogenes), or Brucella agar ( C. jejuni). Compared with conventional spraying, electrostatic spraying of PAA, SD, and SH achieved significant additional reductions ( P < 0.05) of Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, and C. jejuni of 0.96 to 3.18, 1.19 to 3.05, and 0.96 to 1.62 log CFU per egg, respectively. A simple cost comparison suggests that regardless of the antimicrobial agent used, the cost of using an electrostatic sprayer is 20 to 40% lower than that of a conventional sprayer for a small poultry farm that produces 1,500 eggs per day. Among the five antimicrobials, the total sanitizing cost was lowest for SH, followed by PAA and SD. The results indicated that electrostatic spraying of commercial antimicrobials can be considered an effective and economical approach to enhancing the microbial safety of eggs, especially for small poultry processors.

Food hygiene and safety measures among food handlers in street food shops and food establishments of Dessie town, Ethiopia: A community-based cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: In sub-Saharan Africa foodborne disease and foodborne disease outbreaks are frequently ascribed to poor personal hygiene of street food vendors and food handlers in food establishments. Evidence on the level of food hygiene practices and food safety measures among food handlers is required for proper planning and implementation of targeted interventions. In this study, we aimed to determine the level of food hygiene and safety measures among street food vendors and food handlers in food establishments of Dessie Town, Ethiopia. METHOD: A community-based cross-sectional study was performed in Dessie town, Ethiopia from December 2013 to June 2014. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and an observational checklist by a trained data collector among 116 food handlers from 116 food establishments and 19 food handlers from 19 street food vendors. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to identify the factors significantly associated with good level of food hygiene and safety practices. RESULT: Almost three-quarter (72%; 84/116) of food handlers in food establishments had a good level of food hygiene and safety practices compared to nearly half (53%; 10/19) of street food vendors. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Average monthly income of >$21 US (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.2; 95%CI: 1.3-7.7), availability of service training (AOR = 6.7; 95%CI: 1.8-25), wearing a gown during food handling (AOR = 19; 95%CI: 6.8-51) and medical checkup (AOR = 5.2; 95%CI: 2.1-13) were significantly associated with good levels of food hygiene and safety measures. CONCLUSION: Comprehensive health education and promotion programs through continuous training on food hygiene and safety, with promotion of wearing gown during food handling, regular medical checkups of food handlers and programs that enhance the monthly income of food handlers are promising strategies for promoting proper food handling practices in Dessie town, Ethiopia.