Consumers' Perceptions of Edible Marijuana Products for Recreational Use: Likes, Dislikes, and Reasons for Use.

BACKGROUND: Edible marijuana products have become extremely popular in states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this research was to provide a better understanding of consumer perceptions of edible marijuana products, including why they prefer edibles relative to other forms of marijuana (e.g., smoking) and their concerns regarding the consumption of edibles. METHODS: We conducted eight focus groups (four groups in Denver, Colorado, and four groups in Seattle, Washington) in February 2016 with 62 adult consumers of edibles. Focus group transcripts were coded in QSR NVivo 10.0 qualitative analysis software, and coding reports identified trends across participants. RESULTS: Most participants preferred edibles to smoking marijuana because there is no smell from smoke and no secondhand smoke. Other reasons participants like edibles included convenience, discreetness, longer-lasting highs, less intense highs, and edibles' ability to aid in relaxation and reduce anxiety more so than smoking marijuana. Concerns and dislikes about edibles included delayed effects, unexpected highs, the unpredictability of the high, and inconsistency of distribution of marijuana in the product. No participants in either location mentioned harmful health effects from consuming edibles as a concern. Conclusions/Importance: The present study was qualitative in nature and provides a good starting point for further research to quantify through surveys how consumers understand and use edibles. Such information will help guide policy makers and regulators as they establish regulations for edibles. Also, such research can help inform educational campaigns on proper use of edibles for recreational purposes.

Perceived stress, unhealthy eating behaviors, and severe obesity in low-income women.

BACKGROUND: Stress has been associated with poor eating behaviors and diet quality, as well as high body mass index (BMI). Low-income women may be particularly vulnerable to stress and severe obesity. Yet it is unknown how stress increases the risk of severe obesity through disordered eating behaviors and poor diet quality or through mechanisms independent of diet. METHODS: We examined cross-sectional data from women (n = 101) with a child enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Cumberland County, North Carolina (spring 2012). We collected measured heights and weights to calculate BMI. Using structural equation modeling, we differentiated pathways from stress to weight status: (1) indirectly through eating behaviors (cognitive restraint, emotional eating, and uncontrolled eating) and diet quality, which we examined with the Healthy Eating Index 2010 and 24-h dietary recalls, and (2) directly through possible unmeasured risk factors independent of diet. The analysis controlled for race/ethnicity, income, age, whether the dietary recall day was typical, and whether the respondent completed one or two 24-h dietary recalls. RESULTS: Perceived stress was positively associated with uncontrolled eating (ß = 0.38, p < 0.001) and emotional eating (ß = 0.50, p < 0.001). However, higher stress was not associated with weight status through eating behaviors and diet quality. Independent of eating behaviors and diet quality, stress was positively associated with severe obesity (ß = 0.26, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Improving stress coping strategies for low-income women may improve eating behaviors and reduce severe obesity.

Sanitation in classroom and food preparation areas in child-care facilities in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Approximately 60% of U.S. children aged five and younger spend time in child-care settings. Such environments increase the risk of diarrheal disease, including diseases caused by enteric pathogens. To describe adherence to sanitation standards in classrooms and food preparation areas in child-care facilities, the authors conducted site visits in 40 North Carolina and South Carolina child-care facilities. Audits in up to two classrooms (rooms providing care for infants and toddlers) and the kitchen were performed using a form similar to a regulatory inspection form. Audit data were used to calculate indices to describe adherence to sanitation standards and were based on state environmental health regulations for child-care centers, the Food and Drug Administration's Food Code 2009, and guidance from food safety experts. Most facilities participating in the authors' study adhered to sanitation standards within the classroom; however, deficiencies with regard to sanitation in food preparation areas and refrigerator operating temperatures were noted. These results provide insight into possible risk factors for enteric disease transmission in child-care facilities.

Observational Study of the Impact of a Food Safety Intervention on Consumer Poultry Washing.

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to test the effectiveness of a consumer poultry washing educational intervention that included video observation of meal preparation with participants who self-reported washing poultry. Treatment group participants received three e-mail messages containing information that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has used on social media sites (video and infographics) related to poultry preparation, including advising against washing chicken. Participants were observed cooking chicken thighs (inoculated with traceable nonpathogenic Escherichia coli strain DH5α) and preparing a salad to determine whether they washed the chicken and the extent of cross-contamination to the salad and areas of the kitchen. After meal preparation, participants responded to an interview about food handling behaviors, including questions about the intervention for treatment group participants. Three hundred people participated in the study (158 control, 142 treatment). The intervention effectively encouraged participants not to wash chicken before cooking; 93% of treatment group participants but only 39% of control group participants did not wash the chicken (P < 0.0001). The high levels of E. coli DH5α detected in the sink and on the salad lettuce suggest that microbes transferred to the sink from the chicken, packaging, or contaminated hands are a larger cause for concern than is splashing contaminated chicken fluids onto the counter. Among chicken washers, 26 and 30% of the lettuce from the prepared salad was contaminated for the control and treatment groups, respectively. For nonwashers, 31 and 15% of the lettuce was contaminated for the control and treatment groups, respectively. Hand-facilitated cross-contamination is suspected to be a factor in explaining this resulting lettuce cross-contamination. This study demonstrates the need to change the frame of "don't wash your poultry" messaging to instead focus on preventing contamination of sinks and continuing to emphasize the importance of hand washing and cleaning and sanitizing surfaces.

Cross-Contamination to Surfaces in Consumer Kitchens with MS2 as a Tracer Organism in Ground Turkey Patties.

ABSTRACT: It is estimated that one in five cases of foodborne illnesses is acquired in the home. However, how pathogens move throughout a kitchen environment when consumers are preparing food is not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and degree of cross-contamination across a variety of kitchen surfaces during a consumer meal preparation event. Consumers (n = 371) prepared a meal consisting of turkey patties containing the bacteriophage MS2 as a tracer organism and a ready-to-eat lettuce salad. Half were shown a video on proper thermometer use before the trial. After meal preparation, environmental sampling and detection were performed to assess cross-contamination with MS2. For most surfaces, positivity did not exceed 20%, with the exception of spice containers, for which 48% of the samples showed evidence of MS2 cross-contamination. Spice containers also had the highest MS2 concentrations, at a mean exceeding 6 log viral genome equivalent copies per surface. The high level of MS2 on spice containers drove the significant differences between surfaces, suggesting the significance of spice containers as a vehicle for cross-contamination, despite the absence of previous reports to this effect. The thermometer safety intervention did not affect cross-contamination. The efficiency of MS2 transfer, when expressed as a percentage, was relatively low, ranging from an average of 0.002 to 0.07%. Quantitative risk assessment work using these data would aid in further understanding the significance of cross-contamination frequency and efficiency. Overall, these data will help create more targeted consumer messaging to better influence consumer cross-contamination behaviors.

Improving foodborne illness prevention among transplant recipients.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture developed a food safety brochure to educate transplant recipients and their caregivers about the risk of contracting foodborne illnesses and safe food-handling prevention practices. Qualitative research was conducted with transplant recipients and caregivers to collect information on participants' food safety concerns, knowledge, and practices; changes in food safety knowledge and practices after receiving the food safety brochure; preferred communication channels and dissemination strategies for delivering the brochure; and evaluation of the brochure. Many participants received food safety information from a health care provider, but the content and format varied by institution. Most participants are not following recommended practices to cook and chill food safely, and many participants consume high-risk foods associated with foodborne illnesses. After reading the brochure, many participants made or plan to make at least one food safety recommendation. The research findings were used to refine the brochure before nationwide distribution.

Estimating parametric distributions of storage time and temperature of ready-to-eat foods for U.S. households.

Home refrigeration temperatures and product storage times are important factors for controlling the growth of Listeria monocytogenes in refrigerated ready-to-eat foods. In 2005, RTI International, in collaboration with Tennessee State University and Kansas State University, conducted a national survey of U.S. adults to characterize consumers' home storage and refrigeration practices for 10 different categories of refrigerated ready-to-eat foods. No distributions of storage time or refrigeration temperature were presented in any of the resulting publications. This study used classical parametric survival modeling to derive parametric distributions from the RTI International storage practices data set. Depending on the food category, variability in product storage times was best modeled using either exponential or Weibull distributions. The shape and scale of the distributions varied greatly depending on the food category. Moreover, the results indicated that consumers tend to keep a product that is packaged by a manufacturer for a longer period of time than a product that is packaged at retail. Refrigeration temperatures were comparable to those previously reported, with the variability in temperatures best fit using a Laplace distribution, as an alternative to the empirical distribution. In contrast to previous research, limited support was found for a correlation between storage time and temperature. The distributions provided in this study can be used to better model consumer behavior in future risk assessments.

Developing a Messaging Graphic for Storage Times of Refrigerated Ready to Eat (RTE) Foods for a Consumer Food Safety Health Campaign.

This study developed and evaluated risk communication messages for ready to eat (RTE) foods targeted towards consumer storage practices in a food safety health campaign. Concepts were determined from a fractional factorial design of five categories of attributes potentially present in health promotion: title, message, graphic, slogan, and icon. Consumers viewed a subset of concepts and scored how useful the concept was in remembering to throw away RTE foods that were stored too long. Regression analysis determined which combinations of message attributes were most likely to result in using the information to throw out foods, which could help prevent foodborne illness. Findings showed that for this type of information, a graphic is a critical element for the printed schematic. The slogan (i.e., a short statement similar to a jingle or tag-line in a commercial) may be important to consumers, but the icon was not important.

An Observational Study of Thermometer Use by Consumers When Preparing Ground Turkey Patties.

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an intervention for consumer thermometer use by using a randomized experimental design and direct observation of meal preparation. The study was conducted in test kitchen facilities in two locations in North Carolina (one urban and one rural). Cameras recorded participants' actions at various locations throughout the kitchen and recorded the meal preparation from beginning to end. Before preparing the meal, a randomized treatment group watched a 3-min U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety video "The Importance of Cooking to a Safe Internal Temperature and How to Use a Food Thermometer." Participants in the control and treatment groups were observed while cooking turkey burgers and preparing a salad to determine whether a thermometer was used to check the doneness of the turkey patties. Following meal preparation, all participants responded to a postobservation interview about food handling behaviors. Treatment group participants were also asked about the intervention. A total of 383 people participated in the study (201 in the control group and 182 in the treatment group). Participants who viewed the video were twice as likely to use a thermometer to check the doneness of the turkey patties compared with the participants who were not exposed to the video (75 versus 34%) and twice as likely to place the thermometer in the correct location (52 versus 23%). Sixty-seven percent of participants who watched the video reported that it influenced their behavior in the kitchen. This study demonstrates the importance of timing and framing of a behavioral intervention for thermometer use and highlights considerations for the development of additional messages (e.g., proper insertion).

Certified kitchen managers: do they improve restaurant inspection outcomes?

Restaurants are associated with a significant number of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States. Certification of kitchen managers through an accredited training and testing program may help improve food safety practices and thus prevent foodborne illness. In this study, relationships between the results of routine restaurant inspections and the presence of a certified kitchen manager (CKM) were examined. We analyzed data for 4461 restaurants in Iowa that were inspected during 2005 and 2006 (8338 total inspections). Using logistic regression analysis, we modeled the outcome variable (0 = no critical violations [CVs]; 1 = one or more CVs) as a function of presence or absence of a CKM and other explanatory variables. We estimated separate models for seven inspection categories. Restaurants with a CKM present during inspection were less likely to have a CV for personnel (P < 0.01), food source or handling (P < 0.01), facility or equipment requirements (P < 0.05), ware-washing (P < 0.10), and other operations (P < 0.10). However, restaurants with a CKM present during inspection were equally likely to have a CV for temperature or time control and plumbing, water, or sewage as were restaurants without a CKM present. Analyses by type of violation within the temperature and time control category revealed that restaurants with a CKM present during inspection were less likely to have a CV for hot holding (P < 0.05), but the presence of a CKM did not affect other types of temperature and time control violations. Our analyses suggest that the presence of a CKM is protective for most types of CVs, and we identify areas for improving training of CKMs.

Food Safety Knowledge and Practices among Older Adults: Identifying Causes and Solutions for Risky Behaviors.

Adults aged 60 years and older are more likely than younger adults to experience complications, hospitalization, and death because of food-borne infections. Recognizing this risk, we conducted a nationally representative survey (n = 1,140) to characterize older adults' food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices as well as the demographic characteristics of older adults with risky food handling practices. The survey was conducted using a Web-enabled panel. We found that although older adults consider themselves to be knowledgeable about food safety, many are not following recommended food safety practices. Areas for improvement include the following: reheating deli meats to steaming hot, not eating store-bought deli salads, cooking eggs properly, monitoring refrigerator temperature using a thermometer, using a food thermometer to check doneness of meat/poultry/egg dishes, and storing leftovers properly. The survey results also suggest that food safety education targeting older adults is needed and that such initiatives should emphasize practices to prevent listeriosis, a potentially fatal illness among older adults. Our findings suggest that, in particular, men, individuals with higher incomes, and college-educated individuals would benefit from food safety education.

Older Adults and Parents of Young Children Have Different Handling Practices for Raw Poultry.

Salmonella and Campylobacter are among the most common causes of foodborne disease in the United States. Most illnesses are associated with eating raw or undercooked poultry or cross-contamination. Young children and older adults are more susceptible to contracting foodborne illness and have serious infections compared with other age groups. We conducted a Web-based survey of parents of young children ( n = 1,957) and older adults ( n = 1,980) to estimate adherence to recommended food safety practices for raw poultry and to identify differences in practices between the two groups. The findings present adherence rates for 20 practices. In both groups, less than 50% of respondents reported adherence to seven practices; thus, improvements are needed in these areas. Parent respondents were significantly more likely than older adult respondents to report following eight practices, with most related to avoiding cross-contamination and using a food thermometer. For example, parents (39%) were significantly more likely than older adults (31%) to report not rinsing or washing raw poultry ( P < 0.001). Older adult respondents were significantly more likely than parent respondents to report following seven practices, with most related to chilling to proper temperatures and thawing. For example, older adults (87%) were significantly more likely than parents (69%) to report cooking, freezing, or discarding raw poultry within 1 to 2 days of purchase as recommended ( P < 0.001). For the remaining five practices, no differences were found between groups. To motivate behavior change, food safety messages and materials must target specific at-risk populations as their practices are different. Additional research is needed to better understand how parents of young children and older adults like to receive food safety information and how to tailor the information to different generations.

Contamination by Meat Juice When Shopping for Packages of Raw Poultry.

Raw poultry products often are contaminated with Salmonella and Campylobacter, and these bacteria can be transmitted through meat juice on the packages. An observational study was conducted to assess consumer exposure to meat juice during shopping and to quantify the transmission of meat juice from poultry packages to hands and other surfaces. Ninety-six participants completed the shopping study; 402 swabs were collected and analyzed for the presence of meat juice by an immunoassay. Overall, meat juice was detected on 61% of poultry package surfaces, 34% of shoppers' hands, 41% of grocery bags, 60% of kitchen surfaces, and 51% of food item surfaces. When meat juice was detected on the purchased poultry packages, the chance of the meat juice being on the shopper's hands, grocery bags, food items, and kitchen surfaces was significantly higher ( P < 0.005) compared with packages on which meat juice was not present. Shoppers who had poultry wrapped separately during checkout had a significantly lower ( P < 0.05) chance of meat juice on the food items. However, using plastic bags and wrapping poultry separately did not significantly reduce the likelihood of meat juice on kitchen surfaces at home due to consumers' practices of repackaging before storage. Results suggested that the transfer of meat juice through direct contact with the poultry packages is a major concern during shopping and should be prevented.

Consumer home refrigeration practices: results of a web-based survey.

To reduce bacterial growth and to ensure the quality and safety of food products, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advise consumers to clean their refrigerators regularly, use a refrigerator thermometer, and keep refrigerator temperatures at 40 degrees F (4.4 degrees C) or below. We conducted a nationally representative Web-enabled survey (n = 2,060) to collect data on refrigerator thermometer ownership, home refrigerator temperatures, and the frequency of home refrigerator cleaning. We stratified the sample to provide results for pregnant women, older adults (60 years or older), and the remaining population. About half of all respondents had cleaned their refrigerators at least 1 month before the survey. Only 11% of all respondents had a thermometer in their refrigerator before the survey. Older adults (77.5%) were more likely than the remaining population (70.4%) to have their refrigerators at the recommended temperature (P < 0.01). Older adults who were not married and who lived alone were less likely to have refrigerator thermometers and to have their refrigerators at a recommended temperature (P < 0.05). For all respondents, those who had previously owned a refrigerator thermometer were more likely to have their refrigerators at the recommended temperature than were respondents who did not previously own a thermometer (P < 0.01). Food safety educators can use the survey findings and results of previous research to target educational materials and help consumers, especially those at risk for listeriosis, to safely store refrigerated foods at home.

Consumer knowledge and use of open dates: results of a WEB-based survey.

Consumers are relying increasingly on ready-to-eat (RTE) foods because they are convenient, quick, and easy. Open dates let consumers know by which date to purchase or use RTE foods for best quality. To further characterize consumer knowledge and use of open dates for specific refrigerated RTE foods (smoked seafood, cooked crustaceans, bagged salads, prewashed cut produce, soft cheeses, frankfurters, deli meats, fermented sausages, and deli salads), we conducted a nationally representative web-enabled survey (n=2060). Before purchasing RTE foods, 48 to 68% of respondents check open dates all or most of the time. Before preparing RTE foods, 43 to 64% of respondents check open dates all or most of the time. Nearly two-thirds of respondents reported that their senses were the most important factors in deciding whether to eat a refrigerated food, which is an unsafe practice. About one-third of respondents reported that an open date is the most important factor in deciding whether to eat a refrigerated food. Many respondents, however, do not understand the meanings of the different types of dates. Only 18% correctly defined the use-by date. The findings suggest consumers could benefit from education regarding open dates and recommended storage times for RTE foods.

How four U.S. states are regulating recreational marijuana edibles.

BACKGROUND: Sales of edible marijuana products have been strong in Colorado and Washington State since the legalization of recreational marijuana. Initially, these states did not have comprehensive labelling or packaging requirements in place. In response to increases in marijuana-related emergency room visits and poison control centre calls, additional regulations were implemented. Currently, Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington each have passed into law various labelling and packaging requirements for edibles. METHODS: This article presents the primary legal research findings of relevant statutes and regulations for edibles in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. These laws were identified by using Boolean terms and connectors searches in these states' legal databases in LexisNexis. RESULTS: Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington vary greatly in how they regulate labelling and packaging. Colorado, Oregon and Washington require a Universal Symbol to be affixed to edibles, but only Oregon and Washington require that the use of pesticides be disclosed on the label. Only Colorado and Oregon require that the packaging for edibles bear a Nutrition Facts Panel on the label. Δ9-Tetrahydracannabinol (THC) in a single serving or single edible product as Alaska and Oregon. All four states prohibit the manufacture or packaging of edibles that appeal to youth. CONCLUSION: State laws governing recreational marijuana edibles have evolved since the first recreational edible products were available for sale. Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington now require edible product labels to disclose a variety of product information, including risk factors associated with consumption. However, there still remain concerns about the regulatory gaps that exist in each of these states, inherent difficulties in enforcing laws around the labelling, packaging, and manufacturing of edibles, and the outstanding question of whether these edible laws are actually informing consumers and keeping the public safe.

Vitamin-Fortified Snack Food May Lead Consumers to Make Poor Dietary Decisions.

BACKGROUND: The US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) fortification policy discourages the fortification of certain foods, including sugars and snack foods such as cookies, candies, cakes, chips, and carbonated beverages, yet manufacturers sometimes add vitamins and minerals to snack foods. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether vitamin-fortified snack foods affect consumers' information-seeking, purchase decisions, and product-related health perceptions. DESIGN: For this experimental study, participants were randomly assigned to study conditions to compare products that varied in product type, nutrition profile, and fortification and nutrient claim status. Data were collected via an online consumer panel. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: US adults aged 18 years and older were randomly selected from Research Now's e-panel online household panel. Data were collected during fall 2014 (N=5,076). INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to one of 24 conditions: two products (vegetable chip/potato chip), two nutrition profiles (healthier/less healthy), two fortification scenarios (not fortified/fortified), and three nutrient claim conditions (two no claim/one with claim). The design was not balanced; claims were not shown on products that were not vitamin fortified. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures were information-seeking (viewed the Nutrition Facts label), purchase decisions, perception of product healthfulness, and correct selection of product with the healthier nutrient profile. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED: Logistic regression was used to test all models. Analyses was adjusted for general label use, consumes product, health status, age, sex, level of education, presence of children in the household, and race/ethnicity. RESULTS: When the snack food carried a nutrient claim for vitamin fortification, participants were 1) less likely to look for nutrition information on the Nutrition Facts label, 2) more likely to select the product for purchase, 3) more likely to perceive the product as healthier, and 4) less likely to correctly choose the healthier product. CONCLUSIONS: Snack foods that have been vitamin-fortified may cause consumers to make poor dietary decisions.

Consumer use and understanding of labelling information on edible marijuana products sold for recreational use in the states of Colorado and Washington.

BACKGROUND: In 2014, the states of Colorado and Washington began allowing retail sales of marijuana for recreational use. The regulatory agencies in these states have implemented specific labelling requirements for edible marijuana products sold for recreational use to help address concerns such as delayed activation time, accidental ingestion, and proper dosing. METHODS: We conducted 12 focus groups with 94 adult consumers and nonconsumers of edibles in Denver and Seattle to collect information on their use and understanding of labelling information on edible marijuana products sold for recreational use. Specifically, we asked participants about the usefulness, attractiveness, ease of comprehension, relevancy, and acceptability of the label information. RESULTS: Some focus group participants look for and read specific information, such as the potency profile and serving size statement, but do not read or were unfamiliar with other labelling features. The focus groups revealed that participants have some concerns about the current labelling of edibles. In particular, participants were concerned that there is too much information on the labels so consumers may not read the label, there is no obvious indication that the product contains marijuana (e.g., a Universal Symbol), and the information on consumption advice is not clear. Participants in both locations suggested that education in a variety of formats, such as web- and video-based education, would be useful in informing consumers about the possible risks of edibles. CONCLUSION: The focus group findings suggest that improvements are needed in the labelling of edibles to prevent unintentional ingestion among adult nonusers and help ensure proper dosing and safe consumption among adult users. These findings, along with lessons learned from Colorado and Washington, can help inform the labelling of edibles as additional states allow the sale of edibles for recreational use.

Food Safety Practices in the U.S. Meat Slaughter and Processing Industry: Changes from 2005 to 2015.

Meat slaughter establishments use a multipronged approach to ensure beef and pork products are safe for human consumption. To determine the approaches most commonly used, we conducted a national survey of federally inspected meat slaughter and processing establishments (376 completed surveys, 66% response rate) in 2015. We compared the results with a survey that was conducted in 2005, albeit of potentially different establishments, by using a similar questionnaire and similar data collection methods, thus allowing for an evaluation of trends in food safety practices over time. The use of some food safety practices has increased over the 10-yr time period, whereas others remained the same or decreased. For example, the use of chemical sanitizers or hot water for food contact surfaces and tools increased from 51 to 93%. As another example, microbiological testing of raw meat after fabrication, in addition to that required by regulation, increased from 50 to 72%. However, the use of organic acid rinse on carcasses in the slaughter area remained the same, at 66% of establishments. Written policies and procedures to control the use of hazardous chemicals decreased from 75 to 65% of establishments. The survey findings can be used to characterize food safety practices and technologies in the meat slaughter and processing industry and identify areas for improvement.

Consumer knowledge, storage, and handling practices regarding Listeria in frankfurters and deli meats: results of a Web-based survey.

Proper storage and handling of refrigerated ready-to-eat foods can help reduce the risk of listeriosis. A national Web-based survey was conducted to measure consumer awareness and knowledge of Listeria and to estimate the prevalence of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-recommended consumer storage and handling practices for frankfurters and deli meats. The demographic characteristics of consumers who are unaware of Listeria and who do not follow the recommended storage guidelines were also assessed. In addition, predictive models were developed to determine which consumers engage in risky storage practices. Less than half of the consumers surveyed were aware of Listeria, and most of those aware were unable to identify associated food vehicles. Awareness was lower among adults 60 years of age and older, an at-risk population for listeriosis, and individuals with relatively less education and lower incomes. Most households safely stored and prepared frankfurters. Most households stored unopened packages of vacuum-packed deli meats in the refrigerator within the U.S. Department of Agriculture-recommended storage guidelines (< or =14 days); however, many stored opened packages of vacuum-packed deli meats and freshly sliced deli meats for longer than the recommended time (< or =5 days). Men, more-educated individuals, and individuals living in metropolitan areas were more likely to engage in risky storage practices. This study identified the need to develop targeted educational initiatives on listeriosis prevention.