| The purpose of this study was to determine food safety knowledge and food safety practices both among the elderly (age 65 and older) and among those involved with the preparation, service and delivery of food to the elderly. The study was concerned with elderly residing in nursing homes, those who prepare food at home, and those who receive meals delivered to their homes by volunteer programs such as Meals on Wheels.;Food service directors at 17 nursing homes in North Texas participated in a survey to determine food safety education requirements and specific food handling practices. Food service employees (N = 151) at these facilities were surveyed to determine level of food safety education and food safety knowledge. Employees had a mean knowledge test score of 66%. Respondents were least knowledgeable in the areas of reheating and serving hot foods, cooking eggs, proper use of hand sanitizers and plastic gloves, and proper storage of leftover casseroles. Workers with one year of employment or less in food service demonstrated significantly higher mean scores on the food safety knowledge test than their counterparts who had been employed longer.;Elderly consumers living independently were surveyed to determine differences in food preparation and consumption practices between elderly men and elderly women, and between persons aged 65-74 and persons aged 75 and older. Overall, elderly respondents in this survey demonstrated satisfactory food safety handling and consumption practices. Of great concern are the 31% of respondents who indicated taste was one of the methods they used to determine whether food is spoiled. Analysis indicated that men were significantly more likely to use smell and sight in determining spoilage. Based on knowledge gained from this study, an educational videotape, Food Safety for Seniors, was produced targeting seniors living independently.;A visual HACCP inspection to determine the flow of food throughout the operation was conducted over a two day period at a home-delivered meal operation in the North Texas region. This program currently prepares, packages and delivers over 2,500 hot meals each weekday using both volunteer (65%) and paid (35%) delivery persons. Utilizing the acquired information, a HACCP system model was developed. |
