Analyzing Food Safety Cultures: A Means to Improve Food Safety in the Catering Sector by Sara Elizabeth Ghezzi A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Auburn University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Auburn, Alabama May 9, 2011 Keywords: Food, Safety, Food Handling, Personal Hygiene, Equipment, Catering Copyright 2011 by Sara Elizabeth Ghezzi Approved by Baker Ayoun, Chair, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Hospitality Management Alecia Douglas, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Hospitality Management Kyungmi Kim, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Hospitality Management Abstract Food safety is one of the most pertinent issues in the food service industry. Food borne illness and food poisoning can be lethal and can destroy the reputation of a catering establishment. A review of the literature points out that even though catering employees may have been formally trained with a certificate of completion, they still may not routinely practice the appropriate food safety measures and practices. More research and studies need to be conducted to survey just how widespread the neglect of proper food safety malpractices are occurring, and what kinds of remedies can be provided to make the catering service a safer food service for the consumer. This study aimed at assessing the knowledge and practices of employees in the catering industry. A quantitative approach was utilized in this study. A questionnaire was presented to 557 respondents, representing over 40 chapters in the National Association of Catering Executives. The questionnaire was divided into three sections of food safety and included the following: Food Handling, Equipment, and Personal Hygiene. Questions asked about knowledge and the frequency of certain tasks and practices. This study analyzes descriptive, t-tests and ANOVA statistics to find differences between gender, training, management status, and employment status with regard to knowledge and practices. Results suggested that employees in the catering industry who work part-time need more training and development. Management was seen as more knowledgeable than non-management personnel and was seen to have more training. Overall the study found that there is a need to focus on training for employees, with ! ii! even greater emphasis for new employees. The study also found that management in the catering sector needs to focus on food safety training for part-time employees. All areas need improvement and continued research needs to focus on exactly why catering servers do not perform certain tasks related to food safety. ! iii! Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………....ii List of Tables..................................................................................................................................vi Chapter 1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………….....1 Background………………………………………………………………………………..1 Purpose of the Study……………………………………………………………………....4 Significance of the Study……………………………………………………………….....4 Research Questions………………………………………………………………………..6 Organization of the Study………………………………………………………………....6 Chapter 2 Literature Review……………………………………………………………………....7 Food Safety Culture…………………………………………………………………….....7 Personal Hygiene……………………………………………………………………….....8 Equipment and Food Handling…………………………………………………………..11 Literature Implications for the Current Study…………………………….……………...15 Chapter 3 Methods…………………………………………………………………………….…18 Sampling and Data Collection………………………………………………………….. 18 Survey Instrument…………………………………………………………………...….. 21 Pilot Study………………………………………………………………………………..23 Non-response Bias……………………………………………………………………….23 Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………………...………24 Data Analysis…………………………………………………….………………………24 ! iv! Chapter 4 Results……….………………………………………………………………………..26 Overall Results…………………………………………………………………………...26 Food Handling…………………………………………………………………………...27 Equipment…………………………………………………………………….………….43 Personal Hygiene………………………………………………………………………...56 Chapter 5 Discussion, Conclusion, and Implications……………………………………….…...71 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………..71 Implications………………………………………………………………………………75 Study Limitations………………………………………………………………………...77 Future Research………………………………………………………………………….78 References………………………………………………………………………….…………….80 Appendix I Information Letter……………..………………………………………………….…84 Appendix II Survey Instrument……….…………………………………………………………87 ! v! List of Tables Table 1: Demographic Profile of Respondents .............................................................................20 Table 2: Professional Characteristics of the Participants...............................................................21 Table 3: t-test Analysis on Food Handling Knowledge.................................................................28 Table 4: ANOVA Analysis of Age and Food Handling Knowledge ............................................30 Table 5: Tukey Post Hoc Test Age and Food Handling Knowledge.............................................31 Table 6: t-test Analysis on Food Handling Frequencies................................................................34 Table 7: ANOVA Analysis of Age and Food Handling Frequencies............................................36 Table 8: Tukey Post Hoc Significant Findings Age and Food Handling Frequencies..................37 Table 9: ANOVA Analysis of Experience and Food Handling Knowledge.................................39 Table 10: Tukey Post Hoc Results Experience and Food Handling Knowledge…………..........40 Table 11: ANOVA Analysis of Experience and Food Handling Frequencies..............................42 Table 12: Tukey Post Hoc Findings Experience and Food Handling Frequencies.......................43 Table 13: t-test Analysis on Equipment Knowledge.....................................................................46 Table 14: ANOVA Analysis of Age and Equipment Knowledge.................................................48 Table 15: Tukey Post Hoc Findings of Age and Equipment Knowledge......................................49 Table 16: t-test Analysis on Equipment Frequencies....................................................................51 Table 17: ANOVA Analysis of Age and Equipment Frequencies................................................52 Table 18: Tukey Post Hoc Findings Age and Equipment Frequencies.........................................53 Table 19: ANOVA Analysis of Experience and Equipment Knowledge......................................54 Table 20: Tukey Post Hoc Results Experience and Equipment Knowledge.................................55 ! vi! Table 21: ANOVA Analysis of Experience and Equipment Frequencies.....................................56 "#$%&!’’(!")*&+!,-./!0-1!2345346.!78)39:&4/!2;&8)&413&.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<=>! "#$%&!’?(!"#/&./@4#%+.3.!-A!,&;.-4#%!0+63&4&!2;&8)&413&.<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<=B! Table 24: t-test Analysis of Personal Hygiene Knowledge...........................................................59 Table 25: ANOVA Analysis of Age and Personal Hygiene Knowledge......................................62 Table 26: Tukey Post Hoc Findings Age and Personal Hygiene Knowledge...............................63 Table 27: ANOVA Analysis of Age and Personal Hygiene Frequencies.....................................65 Table 28: Tukey Post Hoc Test Findings Age and Personal Hygiene Frequencies.......................66 Table 29: ANOVA Analysis of Experience and Personal Hygiene Knowledge...........................67 Table30: Tukey Post Hoc Test of Findings Experience and Personal Hygiene Knowledge.........68 Table 31: ANOVA Analysis of Experience and Personal Hygiene Frequencies..........................69 Table 32: Tukey Post Hoc Test Findings Experience and Personal Hygiene Frequencies……...70 ! vii! Chapter 1 Introduction This chapter addresses pertinent reasons why research needs to be conducted to explore food safety practices in the catering segment in particular. One of the most important issues of concern is the risk of food borne illness. The purpose of this study and its significance will also be attended to in this chapter. Background Food Safety should be practiced at all times no matter where the location. The possibility of contracting food borne illnesses can happen at home, at a restaurant, or at an event that is being catered at the beach. Without proper precautions and utilizing the practices in food safety, people are put into a risky situation. In 2006 there were 1,270-reported food borne disease outbreaks in the USA, resulting in 27,634 illnesses and eleven deaths (CDC, 2010). Some of these statistics could be prevented if the proper education and training of food safety is given to all food service industry employees. Even more disturbing are the estimates provided by the CDC in 2010 that these diseases sicken seventy-six million Americans per year, causing 300,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths. The CDC contends that many of these illnesses do not get recorded (CDC, 2010). A 2009 study by Scharff estimated that food borne illnesses cost the United States $152 billion dollars per year in healthcare, workplace, and in other economic losses The American public has also experienced nationwide alarm, as outbreaks of toxic E. coli O157:H7 has been discovered in spinach. In 2006 two hundred and five individuals were infected in 26 states and three people died in the outbreak (US FDA, 2007). In the summer of 1 2008 a salmonella outbreak sickened over 14,000 people in the United States. The FDA first cited that tomatoes were the source of the illness but later discovered that Serrano peppers were to blame (US FDA, 2008). Food borne pathogens have been discovered in produce that can become part of a meal at a restaurant, a fast-food establishment, or a catered affair. The threat of these pathogens in the American food base is disturbing and becomes another critical reason why food service establishments need to practice methods to reduce and prevent the passage of food borne pathogens. Norovirus and salmonella were the leading causes of food borne disease outbreaks in 2006, the latest year for which statistics are available (CDC, 2010). Food borne outbreaks of norovirus occur most often when infected food handlers fail to wash their hands correctly after using the restroom. With so many people contracting a food borne illness every year this is a critical problem that affects all aspects of the hospitality industry, including the catering segment. Millions of people attend conferences, weddings, and other special events every year and hence catering employees need to have a basic knowledge of food safety. A caterer is defined as a service “providing single event-based food services” (US Census Bureau, 2000). These establishments generally have equipment and vehicles to transport meals and snacks to events and or prepare food at an off-premise site. Banquet halls with catering staff are included in this industry (US Census Bureau, 2000). The US catering industry includes about 10,000 companies, with combined annual revenue of $5 billion dollars (National Restaurant Association, 2008; Valuation Resources, 2011). The very nature of catering sets up red flags when considering the risk of food borne illness outbreaks. Events demand a very fast paced delivery and many times stressful circumstances for employees. Large numbers of people are served while the food may be transported to an off-site location. The food must be kept at proper 2 temperatures on route and at the serving location. All of these variables can add to the increased risk of developing a food safety issue. Therefore with food borne illness still at an all-time high and millions of people attending special event functions every year, catering servers and employees need to have proper food safety training and education. Practicing proper food safety methods and maintaining food safety in the food industry is critical for the consumer. Food borne illness poses a risk whether an individual dines at home, at a restaurant, or at an elegant catered event. Proper food safety techniques and food handling must be practiced in order to protect the consumer from serious consequences. Food borne illnesses have resulted in thousands of deaths and hospitalizations (Scharff, 2009; Yasuda 2010). One outbreak of food poisoning can result in millions of dollars of penalties, lost business, expensive lawsuits, and a tarnished reputation. The special nature of catering events makes it very critical to practice and follow through with safe food handling methods. Events may dictate that food has to be transported long distances or the timing of the event may be off schedule due to some unforeseen incidents. Therefore those in charge must be responsive and flexible to ensure that the food will be stored and served at the correct temperature. Not only do the managers need to oversee the proper preparation, storage, and serving of the food, but all those involved in any aspect of food handling must be knowledgeable and dedicated to safe food handling practices. This includes the servers, cooks, and clean-up employees. In most catering or banquet facilities, servers handle the food in the back of the establishment and therefore it is vital that they are trained to maintain the safety of the food about to be served. Proper hygiene is a must for anyone coming into contact with the food. Training and consistent reinforcement of safe food handling practices is especially important for all employees performing catering and or banquet functions. 3