| Globally, foodborne illness impacts an estimated 30% of individuals annually. Meals prepared outside of the home are a risk factor for acquiring foodborne illness and have been implicated in up to 70% of traced outbreaks. While millions of dollars have been invested in food safety communication strategies, training programs and interventions, the annual estimate of morbidity and mortality remains stagnant. As a result, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called upon food safety communicators to design new methods and messages aimed at increasing food safety risk-reduction practices from farm-to-fork. Food safety infosheets, a novel communication tool designed to appeal to food handlers and compel behaviour change were created and evaluated. These interventions were designed utilizing evidence-based best communication practices including surprise, context and storytelling. A limitation of existing food safety communication interventions is the lack of a structured evaluation process to assess effectiveness. Food safety infosheets were evaluated with the target audience for acceptability. Resultant food safety infosheets consist of relevant and timely food safety narratives culled from media sources, and produced weekly to supplement traditional food safety training. Following three iterations of refinement, food safety infosheets were provided to food handlers in working foodservice operations. It was hypothesized that through the posting of food safety infosheets in highly visible locations, such as kitchen work areas and handwashing stations, that safe food handling behaviours of foodservice staff could be positively influenced. As the literature lacked a valid and reliable technique to capture, analyze and catalogue foodservice food handler actions, one was developed. The resultant methodology, video observation, utilized multiple webcams connected to laptop computers and was used to capture food safety practices in real-life situations. Using video observation, food handlers (n=47) in eight working foodservice operations were observed for a total of 348 hours (pre- and post-intervention combined). Post-food safety infosheet introduction, food handlers demonstrated a significant increase (6.7%) in mean handwashing attempts, and a significant reduction in indirect cross-contamination events (19.6%). Posting food safety infosheets are an effective intervention to positively impact the food safety practices of food handlers. |
