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OBJECTIVE To identify the impact of child involvement in vegetable preparation on vegetable preference and attitudes toward eating vegetables. DESIGN Pre-post mixed-methods. SETTING Food and Farming Camp at a nonprofit urban farm in Sunnyvale, California. PARTICIPANTS Camp participants aged 8-10 years (n = 34 girls, n = 12 boys), and aged 11-14 years (n = 19 girls, n = 4 boys). INTERVENTIONS Involvement in vegetable preparation through harvesting, cutting, cooking, and seasoning before consumption. Interviews identified camper perception of vegetable preference and involvement in preparation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Change in vegetable preference from baseline with and without involvement in vegetable preparation. Attitudes toward involvement in vegetable preparation. ANALYSIS Adjustment of preferences to baseline followed by tests of hypotheses to identify differences with involvement. Thematic, qualitative coding to identify prevalent themes within interview responses. RESULTS Younger campers preferred vegetables they prepared (P < 0.05), except for carrots. Campers were more likely to choose vegetables they prepared (P < 0.05). Campers of both age groups were curious to try their vegetable creations and described feelings of pride and responsibility related to preparing vegetables. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Involvement with food preparation, in particular in a garden-based setting, may provide an accessible method to improve child vegetable preference.

Microbiological contamination of food processing surfaces and utensils increases considerably the risk of food-borne illnesses via cross-contamination. Hence, the safety of served meals and beverages can be evaluated through the assessment of the microbiological quality of food contact surfaces in food-serving establishments. This study carried out in Makkah city aimed to assess the microbiological contamination levels on food processing surfaces and utensils in 43 restaurants from the 9 main districts in the city. A total of 294 swab preparations were taken from 16 types of food contact surfaces including cutting boards, food containers, knives, serving dishes and other utensils were examined. Ninety samples (31%) showed more than 10 CFU/cm2 which were considered positive for microbiological contamination. Meat chopping devices and cutting boards were found as the most contaminated food contact surfaces (60% and 50%), while washed serving dishes and fridge handles were the least contaminated (21% and 18%). Microorganisms detected in the study were Klebsiella spp. (18.7%), Escherichia coli (17,7%), Staphylococcus aureus (4,4%), Pseudomonas spp. (1.7%), Proteus spp. (0.7%), Bacillus cereus (0.7%), and Candida sp. (0.3%). Klebsiella spp. and E. coli were observed in at least one sample from each of the sixteen different food contact surfaces. The incidence of restaurants with contaminated food contact surfaces was significantly variable among the different districts, with a value as high as 57% in the most affected district and 20% in the less affected. No contamination with Salmonella spp. or Listeria spp. was detected, however, the detection of Bacillus cereus, a toxin-forming microorganism, in two different restaurants underlines the need for continuous microbiological assessment to ensure standard sanitation levels in restaurants and catering establishments of Makkah city.

Background Despite its nutritional value, wheat grain can be contaminated with mycotoxins, which cause toxic effects when ingested, and this contamination may persist during food processing. Among the mycotoxins found in wheat and its derivatives, DON, a mycotoxin belonging to trichothecene group B, stands out for its prevalence and range. Scope and approach Processing parameters, such as the time and temperature of thermal treatment used in food preparation, are important to mitigate mycotoxin contamination. Studies have shown that interconversion can occur between DON and its derivatives and interaction with macromolecules during food processing. However, it may also bind or disconnect with macromolecules after the digestion process, resulting in underestimation of trichothecene exposure by wheat product consumption. In this review, focus will be placed on the main studies of trichothecenes occurrence in wheat and their derivatives, as well as which processing step reduces trichothecene contamination. Key findings and conclusions There are few studies focusing on nivalenol occurrence despite its toxic effects. The trends are focused on DON and its conversion into D3G during the food processing steps. There is still little standardization in food production, which has complicated comparisons and the identification of the product that represents the greatest risk to human health. The main challenge for public policy to prevent damage to human health is the evaluation of trichothecenes bioaccessibility along the wheat supply chain.

Objectives This study developed and validated a questionnaire to measure young adults’ perceived food literacy and behaviors toward food and created an explanatory model. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Large southeastern US university. Participants A total of 1,896 students, aged 18–30 years, were recruited. Data from 1,813 were analyzed. Variables Measured Health and nutrition, taste, food preparation, planning and decision-making, and convenience. Analysis Exploratory factor analysis, test-retest reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were performed. Results Exploratory factor analysis returned 5 factors with acceptable internal structure. Test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from 0.63 to 0.92. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that a 5-factor model was an appropriate fit for the data (χ2 = 588.05; degrees of freedom = 142; root mean square error of approximation = 0.06; comparative fit index = 0.98; Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.97; standardized root mean square residual = 0.05). Structural equation modeling revealed relationships from health and nutrition to food preparation (0.25, P Conclusions and Implications Young adults consider food literacy-related factors and behavioral concerns when making food choices.

Umai is a popular, traditional, native dish of the Melanau ethnic group in Sarawak. It is prepared using thin slices of raw marine fish marinated with calamansi juice and seasoned with other ingredients. The local people believe that the acidity of the citrus juice, along with the use of salt and spice, can slightly cook the fish and remove the fishy smell. The aim of this study was to investigate (i) the different umai handling and preparation practices and (ii) the personal experience of umai consumption among respondents. A purposive sample of 100 umai makers, divided into two equal groups, professionals and nonprofessionals, participated in the study. We found that Spanish mackerel and hairfin anchovy were ranked first and second in the list of species chosen for making umai, with the former mostly preferred by the professional group, as opposed to the latter, which was preferred by the nonprofessional group. Black pomfret was ranked third, where it is equally preferred by both groups. About 20% of respondents would freeze the raw fish chunks prior to preparing umai, as opposed to 26% who would sun dry their fish. Other techniques, such as salting and marinating (using calamansi juice), were also used during the preparation of umai. Most of the respondents indicated that they would consider the umai ready to eat soon after marinating (with all ingredients) the raw fish. One-third of both respondent groups indicated that they would chill the umai dish at 4°C for 30 min before serving. The respondents could not provide any rationale behind these food preparation practices. Overall, this study provides evidence of the different preparation methods for umai. These practices can thus be considered important targets for public health education campaigns seeking to improve food safety surrounding this food group. HIGHLIGHTS

Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the United States, and restaurants are the most common setting of foodborne norovirus outbreaks. Therefore, prevention and control of restaurant-related foodborne norovirus outbreaks is critical to lowering the burden of foodborne illness in the United States. Data for 124 norovirus outbreaks and outbreak restaurants were obtained from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance systems and analyzed to identify relationships between restaurant characteristics and outbreak size and duration. Findings showed that restaurant characteristics, policies, and practices were linked with both outbreak size and outbreak duration. Compared with their counterparts, restaurants that had smaller outbreaks had the following characteristics: managers received food safety certification, managers and workers received food safety training, food workers wore gloves, and restaurants had cleaning policies. In addition, restaurants that provided food safety training to managers, served food items requiring less complex food preparation, and had fewer managers had shorter outbreaks compared with their counterparts. These findings suggest that restaurant characteristics play a role in norovirus outbreak prevention and intervention; therefore, implementing food safety training, policies, and practices likely reduces norovirus transmission, leading to smaller or shorter outbreaks. HIGHLIGHTS

Background Intervention strategies to reduce sodium intake and increase potassium intake may decrease blood pressure; however, most are focused on reducing sodium in processed food globally. Objectives We attempt to fill important gaps in understanding the dynamics of these dietary determinants of hypertension in China. Methods We used data on 29,926 adults aged ≥20 y between 1991 and 2015 from an ongoing cohort, the China Health and Nutrition Survey. We collected detailed diet data with use of weighing methods with 3 consecutive 24-h recalls. With panel data random-effects models, we analyzed factors associated with sodium and potassium intakes and sodium to potassium (Na/K) ratios. Results Sodium intake decreased from 6.3 g/d in 1991 to 4.1 g/d in 2015, still twice the tolerable upper intake recommended by the WHO. Potassium intake was 1.7 g/d in 1991 and 1.5 g/d in 2015, below half that recommended by the WHO. The Na/K ratio decreased from 4.1 (ratios in g) in 1991 to 3.1 in 2015, 5 times the recommendation of the WHO. More than two-thirds (67%) of sodium intake was from salt added during food preparation, with 8.8% from processed foods in 2015, up from 5.0% in 1991. The most at-risk populations lived in China's central region and rural areas, were middle aged, had lower educations, or were farmers. Conclusions Sodium intake is very high across all regions in China. As part of sodium reduction efforts, China should target people living in the central region and adults aged above 60 whose sodium intakes are much higher. Strategies to decrease sodium intake and increase potassium intake should be different from those applied in the Western world where the major source is processed food. Reduced sodium higher potassium salts should become a major policy initiative in China.

Through the years, there has been a great deal of archaeological research focused on the earliest farming cultures of Europe (i.e. Early Neolithic). However, little effort has been expended to uncover the type and nature of daily activities performed within Early Neolithic pit house dwellings in the northern Balkans. In this paper, we conduct a spatial analysis of the Early Neolithic (Starcevo-Cris culture) pit house levels of the Foeni-Salas site in Romania to determine the kinds and locations of activities that occurred in these pit houses. Artefacts were piece-point plotted in the field to allow for their precise distributions to be identified within and between pit houses. Given the low frequencies of most artefact types, visual techniques are used to identify patterns. Such precise spatial data distribution yields a fuller understanding of how space was used at Foeni-Salas. The results show that different types of activity areas are present within each of the pit houses. Comparison of interior to exterior artefact distributions demonstrates that most activities take place within pit house. Some of the activities present include weaving, food preparation, butchering, hide processing, pottery making, ritual, and other activities related to the running of households, and that each pit house was probably occupied by a small family unit.

This study aimed to understand the powder properties of ingredients (whey and potato protein isolates, fine and coarse non-digestible maltodextrin, instant waxy maize and potato starches) that allow point of consumption machine-production of protein and fibre fortified products of varying consistency. Common characteristics of ingredients suitable for instant food preparation and use included free powder flow (avalanche angles of 42.2–46.4°), large particle size with narrow size distribution (d50 = 177–309 μm), high porosity and rapid de-agglomeration into primary particles in contact with water. Instant production of liquid (

The link between home cooking and health is being actively explored in both observational and experimental studies. However, research on this topic is limited by the lack of cooking behavior metrics. Most existing assessment tools focus only on cooking frequency or one’s ability to complete specific a priori food preparations. Cooking is a complex and multifaceted behavior that is influenced by culture, environment, and social norms. More flexible and adaptable measurement approaches are needed to elucidate the spectrum of cooking ability in the population and, in turn, develop meaningful recommendations and interventions.

Food waste is a substantial contributor to environmental change and it poses a threat to global sustainability. A significant portion of this waste accounts for plate waste and food surplus from food-service operations such as restaurants, workplace canteens, cafeterias, etc. In this work, we seek to identify potential strategies to optimize food consumption in all-you-can-eat food-service operations, in terms of minimizing food waste while ensuring quality of service (i.e., maintaining low wait-time, unsatisfied-hunger, and walk-out percentages). We treat these facilities as complex systems and propose an agent-based model to capture the dynamics between plate waste, food surplus, and the facility organization setup. Moreover, we measure the impact of plate size on food waste. The simulation results show reducing plate size from large to small decreases plate waste up to 30% while ensuring quality of service. However, total waste as the sum of food surplus and plate waste is lower with large plates. Our results indicate the need for optimizing food preparation along with designing choice environments that encourage guests to avoid taking more food than they need.

Microbial survival of heating and cross-contamination are the two transmission routes during food preparation in the consumers' kitchen that are relevant for QMRA (Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment). The aim of the present study was to extend the limited amount of data on microbial survival during real-life preparation of meat and meat products and to obtain accessory temperature data that allow for a more general (product unspecific) approach. Therefore survival data were combined with extensive measurements of time- and location dependent temperature using an infrared camera for the surface and buttons for the inside of the product, supplemented with interpolation modelling. We investigated the survival of heating of Escherichia coli O111:H2 in beefsteak, hamburgers (beef and 50% beef 50% pork (HH)), meatballs (beef and HH) and crumbs (HH). For beefsteak, survival as a whole is dominated by the sides, giving a log reduction of 1-2 (rare), 3-4 (medium) and 6-7 (done). Limited measurements indicated that done preparation gave 5-6 log reduction for crumbs and at least 8-9 log for the other products. Medium preparation gave a higher reduction in hamburgers (2-4 log) than in meatballs (1-2 log) and in beef (3-4) than in HH (2-3) hamburgers. In general, our 'done' results give larger inactivation than found in literature, whereas 'rare' and 'medium' results are similar. The experiments resulted in two types of curves of D70/z-values, dependent on product, doneness and for beefsteaks sides vs. top/bottom. One type of curve agrees reasonably with literature D70/z estimates from isothermal temperature experiments, which supports using these estimates for home style cooking QMRA calculations. In case of the other type of curve, which is mainly found for (near) surface contamination in close contact with the pan, these literature estimates cannot be applied. We also applied a simplified approach, assuming thermal inactivation is dominated by the highest temperatures reached. The time duration of this highest temperature gives accessory D-values which prove to fit with isothermal temperature literature data, thus suggesting application of such data for QMRA is possible by this approach also, which is less labor intensive both in terms of measurements and modelling. In real life, variability in product properties and preparation styles is large. Further studies are needed to analyze the effect on survival, preferably focusing on determining the essential variables. More variation in heating time will allow for estimating D70/z point estimates rather than curves representing possible sets of D70/z-values.

Food waste (FW) generation from hotel operations have a significant negative impact on the environment, society and economy. Hence, the urgent need to introduce sustainable food management to reduce both FW and operational costs in hotels. The aim of this paper is to identify the drivers of FW generation and barriers to sustainable food waste management (SFWM) in island based hotels. The data were collected using in-depth interview coupled with the observations conducted at 23 selected hoteliers in Langkawi Island, Malaysia. Based on the analysis, using qualitative content analysis (QCA), eight FW drivers were identified and the drivers were classified into three categories of factors, mainly internal, external and intermediate influence. There are four FW drivers identified as internal factors that influenced the implementation of food waste management namely (1) poor hotel management and policies, (2) lack of skills in food preparation, (3) lack of facilities and FW technology and (4) non-implementation of waste audit and waste separation. For external factors, there are two FW drivers, including (5) unsustainable food consumption patterns of the customers and (6) risk of food ingredients spoilage. As for intermediate factors, two FW drivers were identified, which are (7) ineffective communication and (8) inadequate education and awareness. Findings from this study contribute towards a better understanding on the complexity of FW issues, particularly for island-based hotel sector. It was also suggested that a holistic approach with multi-stakeholders is crucial to reduce food wastage towards achieving SFWM.

Strontium (Sr) is a natural element, ubiquitous in the environment and known to occur in water, food, air, and soils. Strontium is present in media as a salt or an ionized divalent cation. The Sr ion (dissociated) is toxicokinetically important because it is easily absorbed into systemic circulation when inhaled with particulates or ingested with water or foods. Dietary exposure can be influenced by using tap water containing dissolved Sr in food preparation. Research was conducted to determine the amount of Sr transferred from water to individual foods during preparation. Strontium transferred to broccoli, lentils, and spaghetti at all levels tested (1.5, 10, and 50 mg/L) as evidenced by the residual Sr in the pour-off water following food preparation (33–64%). The data from the cooking study support the hypothesis that cooking of foods with water containing Sr adds to total dietary exposure. This information can inform the determination of the relative source contribution (RSC) that is typically used in developing drinking water advisory guidelines. These cooking study results indicate that food prepared in water containing Sr should be considered as part of the food in a dietary exposure assessment.

The purpose of this study was to assess the consumers' food safety knowledge and its determinants. The analysis was based on data collected through a cross-sectional survey in East Malaysia, which described the knowledge about personal hygiene, foodborne disease symptoms, high-risk foods, cross-contamination, and temperature control held by Sibu-based consumers. Up to 99.5% of consumers correctly answered the question on hand hygiene in food handling. However, only 23.3% had a detailed knowledge of the temperature effect on bacterial growth in food. The level of food safety knowledge differed by gender, age, education level, number of children and food preparation frequency. The logistic regression model used for this data found a high level of food safety knowledge among tertiary graduates (OR = 42.26; 95% CI: 9.97, 179.06). It also highlighted the importance of food safety knowledge as an effort to control foodborne diseases (FBD), by focusing on consumer food handling in the home and how to extent the benefits of food safety education to the whole society.

The microbial quality of food contact surfaces in the food preparation facilities is an indication of their hygiene status. The objective of this study was to assess the hygiene status and the incidence of pathogens of food contact surfaces in the food preparation facilities of schools offering school feeding programs in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. 192 swab samples were collected by swabbing 100 cm2 areas of food contact surfaces in the food preparation facilities of randomly selected schools. Only 16.2% of the food contact surfaces had satisfactory hygiene status in which the surface aerobic colony counts were less than 2 log cfu/cm2. Only 3% and 6% of the benchtop and dry storage surfaces respectively had a satisfactory hygiene status. Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus were the most detected pathogen on food contact surfaces with 53.1% and 25.5% incidences. There was a strong significant positive correlation between the occurrence of L. monocytogenes on dry storage surfaces and benchtop (rho = 0.539**, p = 0.01), cutting board (rho = 0.541**, p = 0.01), refrigerator handle (rho = 0.420*, p = 0.05), and sink faucet (rho = 0.498**, p = 0.01) surfaces. The Bacillus species was generally detected the most from aerobic growth isolates of food contact sources, among which Bacillus subtilis was the most abundant species identified. Most of the food contact surfaces in the food preparation facilities of schools offering school feeding programs were of unsatisfactory hygiene status and constituted a food safety risk to schoolchildren consuming meals at school.

Many contextual factors appear to influence both food intake as well as quality perception. A recent study showed the influence of pouring sequence in food preparation on food amount, ingredient ratio and calorie content. Two studies were conducted to further investigate the influence of pouring and preparation order on food intake. Using a within-subject design in study 1, participants were randomized to either pour yogurt or muesli first into a bowl before consuming the prepared snack. While the total amount of the snack did not differ between the two pouring order groups, participants poured significantly more yogurt and muesli when either snack component was poured first compared to when poured second. The second study used a real world setting asking participants to follow a certain preparation order when pouring their muesli and yogurt at home for one week. Again, whichever component was poured or spooned first was significantly more than when poured second. This effect remained over time. Depending on the caloric content of each snack component, the preparation sequence influenced total calorie consumption. It can be concluded that preparation sequence impacts total calorie intake even over time and has the potential to be used as a tool in weight management.

The purpose of this review is to explore prior research on the food safety perspectives and practices of consumers and vendors in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country. Through a systematic search and review process, 87 relevant studies were identified. The results of the review indicated that most studies were concentrated in urban areas and in the southwest, south, and central regions. Most of the studies (64.4%) focused only on vendors; only one study focused on both consumers and vendors. The most common food category studied was prepared ready-to-eat foods, and 81% of studies did not focus on any specific food safety hazard, instead examining general food safety issues. Sixty studies (69%) used a single data-collection method, most commonly an individual-level structured survey. In terms of topics, most studies focused on the respondent's food safety-related knowledge (66.7%) or self-reported practices (63.2%). Eleven studies (12.6%) examined actual practices via observations, while nine (10.3%) included observations of the food preparation or sale environment. Studies tended to find participants' knowledge to be better than their self-reported practices, with observed practices being worse than self-reported practices. Studies suffered from certain methodological weaknesses. Based on the results of this review, it is concluded that future research on food safety in Nigeria would benefit from greater focus on fruits and vegetables and traditional markets, less reliance on closed-ended survey questions and self-reported data, and more focus on understanding individuals' food safety motivations, beliefs, and values within specific cultural contexts.

Coronaviruses are a virus that are often responsible for causing colds and seasonal flu. In the past have seen Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), affecting humans. COVID-19 or SARS-COV2 also belongs to these strains of viruses, having first detected in Wuhan China. First discovered in Wuhan seafood market, the virus is said to have been transmitted from Bats to human being. According to WHO food contamination can occur through hands, sneezing and coughing of workers responsible for the preparation and packaging of foods. Similarly, consumption of contaminated or unclean food can cause COVID-19. The origin theory of COVID-19 relating it to food service industry has led to severe mistrust amongst the consumers, and, in turn has caused the hospitality industry to panic. While most of the industry stalwarts are brainstorming the future of the Hospitality industry post COVID-19. Is the panic justified? Agreed as of now, there is a widespread mistrust regarding eating out, or trusting restaurant food, but is there a solution? In this paper we will have a look at how unsafe, eating out is right now? Do the current food preparation norms, fulfil the standards? Is there an overreaction to the COVID-19 Situation? The author has taken liberty to take India as point in case where wider dynamics are at play.

Spices are widely used all over the world in food preparation to give taste, smell and color as well as to preserve food products. Bacillus cereus is a common contaminant in spices which can cause food poisoning due to its toxins. This study focused on determining the presence of B. cereus as well as the toxin profiles of the strains. A total of 203 packaged and unpackaged spice samples were collected during the study. B. cereus prevalence was determined as 31.5%. Also, B. thuringiensis was identified in five samples (2.5%). The prevalence of B. cereus in non-irradiated spices (41.5%) was found significantly higher than the irradiated ones (20.7%) (p

Understanding how SNAP participants spend their time in various activities over the benefit cycle can provide insights into ways to improve the effectiveness of the program and reduce the potential unintended negative effects of program participation. Using data from the 2006–2008 and 2014–2016 American Time Use Survey and Eating and Health Module, we revisit the SNAP benefit cycle issue by investigating if SNAP participants spend less time on home-based eating related activities (i.e., primary eating, food preparation, and grocery shopping) towards the end of the benefit cycle than comparable non-participants. We find that SNAP participants spend less time on food production activities in both periods—less time on food preparation in 2006–2008 and less time on shopping for groceries in 2014–2016—relative to comparable non-participants towards the end of the benefit month. Given the importance of time allocation, we then examine how SNAP participants allocate their time across various activities compared to comparable non-participants. We discuss the implications of our results in relation to these time use patterns over the benefit month.

The Central Andes of South America boasts a rich history of complex societies and sophisticated economic networks. Reconstructing patterns of diet across time is important to understanding the relationships between subsistence and food preparation and their roles in mediating consumption and hegemony through time. The region surrounding the city of Cusco in the southern Peruvian highlands is best known as the heartland of the Inca Empire (520-418 BP); however, it has a long history of social complexity and regional exchange, including colonization by the highland Wari Empire (1350-950 BP) and in situ development in earlier periods. Elucidating subsistence and mobility over time in the Cusco region is therefore essential for reconstructing the evolution of complex Andean polities and their effects on local communities. This study presents carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopic data from human bone and tooth enamel at four Cusco-region sites: the hunter-gatherer site of Kasapata (6350- 4150 BP, N = 8); the village site of Yuthu (2350-2050 BP, N = 22); the Wari colony of Hatun Cotuyoc (1350-950 BP, N = 9) and the contemporaneous village site of Ak'awillay (N = 22). Key aims are to estimate diachronic shifts in foodways and nutrition, and those related to Wari control. Results indicate nearly-identical isotope values at Kasapata and Yuthu trending toward lower-trophic level C3 proteins and C3 energy sources, while values indicate mixed C3/C4 diets at Ak'awillay and diets dominated by terrestrial meat and C4 foods at Hatun Cotuyoc. Interestingly, oxygen isotope values suggest water source variation consistent with minimal mobility at Kasapata and regional mobility at Yuthu, but possibly with overlapping but divergent foodways at Ak'awillay and Hatun Cotuyoc resulting in differential evaporative pressures on consumed water rather than increased mobility.

An observational cross-sectional pilot study in 73 Spanish households was conducted to evaluate the impact of consumer practices on the formation of acrylamide during the preparation of French fries from fresh potatoes applying one stage frying. 45.2% of samples presented acrylamide concentrations above the benchmark level for French fries (500 µg/kg). 6.9% of samples exceeded 2000 µg/kg and the 95th percentile was 2028 µg/kg. The median and average values were significantly higher than the EFSA report for this food category, suggesting that the total exposure to acrylamide by the population could be underestimated. In this randomised scenario of cooking practices, the content of reducing sugar and asparagine did not explain the acrylamide levels. However, the chromatic parameter a of the fried potato was a powerful tool to classify the samples according to the acrylamide benchmark level regardless of the agronomical characteristics of the potato or the consumer practices., This research is funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spain) under project SAFEFRYING (AGL2015-46234-R).

Objectives The outcomes of hygiene audits carried out two times per year were used to determine the correct execution of the procedures foreseen by the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan over 4 years (2013–2016) in a university canteen producing about 1200 meals a day. Study design Critical analysis of hygiene audits. Methods Hygiene audits were carried out on the basis of a checklist divided into seven main items and subitems that covered all the production areas of the canteen. For each audit subitem, total percentage of inadequacy was calculated as the total number of negative answers (N) divided by the total number of answers (n = 8) collected in the period 2013–2016. Results The results showed a discontinuous trend among years. In more detail, the highest percentage of inadequacy was seen for food maintaining temperatures, thus highlighting management issues mainly related to time taken for food preparation. A relatively high level of inadequacy was also recorded for staff clothing and hygiene. Conclusions The critical analysis of data emerged from the audits was useful to obtain an overview of improvements and emerging criticalities.

This article aims to highlight discoveries during the past 5 years regarding aspects of the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and apo-carotenoids, their uptake by intestinal cells, and their absorption that have received less attention in other recent reviews. New discoveries on the impact of various types of lipid on carotenoid bioavailability, their liberation from plant chromoplasts, and the effects of components such as pectin in the food matrix are discussed. Comparison of thermal and non-thermal processing techniques, as well as various styles of food preparation, also are considered. Finally, present knowledge of the impact of dietary lipids, including omega-3 fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins, phytosterols, and minerals, as well as novel excipient foods on carotenoid bioaccessibility and bioavailability, are considered.

Water from La Pampa, Argentina, was used for washing and cooking rice to examine the in-situ impact of using naturally-contaminated water for food preparation on the elemental dietary intake. Whilst washing with the control tap water (28 g/L As) reduced the concentration of As in rice by 23%, the use of different well waters (281-1144 g/L) increased As levels significantly (48-227%) in comparison with the original concentration in the rice (0.056 µg/g). Cooking the rice at a low water-to-rice ratio (2:1) using modern methods increased the levels of As in the cooked samples by 2-3 orders of magnitude for both pre-washed and un-washed rice. Similar trends were observed for vanadium. Although the levels of manganese, iron, copper, zinc and molybdenum in rice were reduced during washing and cooking for most water samples, the molybdenum concentration in the cooked rice doubled (2.2-2.9 µg/g) when using water containing >1 mg/L Mo.

Recently, the cultivation of light Cannabis, with a total THC content less than 0.6%, has been encouraged due to its industrial and therapeutic potential. This has increased the consumption of hemp for both smoking purposes and food preparation. Even so, Cannabis inflorescences are not subject to EU regulations and standards provided for food and tobacco products. A study was carried out on thirty-one inflorescences samples, collected in different Italian regions, in order to determine cannabinoids, pesticides and metals and to evaluate the exposure of consumers to contaminants and ensure a safe consumption. Contents of THC were always below 0.5%, while CBD ranged between 0.3 and 8.64%. The determination of 154 pesticides showed that 87% of the samples contained fungicides and insecticides in the range 0.01–185 μg/g. The most found are spinosad and cyprodinil. The concentration of metals ranged from 1 to more than 100 μg/g and As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Cu, Mo, Ni and V exceeded the regulatory US limits for inhaled Cannabis products, while Pb exceeded them for both oral and inhaled products. These contaminants are intrinsically toxic and may affect public health. Actions are needed to establish regulatory measures and reduce the adverse effects caused by contaminants in Cannabis.

Starch is a major macronutrient in our daily plant-based foods, which is mainly biosynthesized in cells of plant storage organs. The plant cells have a complex 3D architecture and chemical compositions, which can all interact with starch during industrial processing. However, their influence on the final starch functionality is currently often overlooked. The lack of such information hinders a holistic understanding of starch structure-function relations, which are the prerequisite for the design of next generation foods with personalized requirements. This review thus provides a critical discussion of the advances and limitations about the current understanding of plant cellular structures (~0.1–0.3 mm). It includes the cell wall, protein body, lipids, polyphenols and spatial distribution of these components in the plant storage tissues. The influence of these structures on the starch functions is emphasized, with the mechanism explicitly elucidated. Specifically, it showed that plant cellular architecture and chemical compositions can determine the starch physicochemical properties. The mechanisms include physical restriction and/or chemical interaction with starch granules during the food preparation process. A high interspecies, temporal and spatial diversity is existed among these structural perspectives, providing perceived opportunities to improve starch properties from the control of these plant cellular structures.

Deep-frying is a popular method for food preparation because it improves the taste and sensory of food. Among the vegetable oils, palm oil is one of the commonly used oils for deep-frying application. During deep-frying, some of the oil would be absorbed by the food and subsequently be consumed together with the food. Hence, the quality and stability of the oil used for deep-frying are of critical food safety considerations. To address this issue, we produced refined palm oil from crude palm oil which has been treated with an aerobic liquor (AL) generated from a palm oil mill. The result shows that the refined palm oil produced from AL-treated CPO (aRPO) has improved quality, in particular the 3-monochloropropane-1,2 diol ester (3-MCPDE) and the glycidyl ester (GE) reduced by 58% and 46%, respectively. After 30 cycles of deep-frying, the used aRPO contained 68% lower FFA content, 13% lower polar content, and 43% lower 3-MCPDE content compared to the conventionally produced refined palm oil (RPO). Furthermore, the aRPO has a higher smoke-point and a higher resistance to darkening compared to the RPO. As a result, the fries prepared using aRPO have lower 3-MCPDE content and they have a better appearance and were less greasy when compared to the fries prepared using RPO. Overall, AL-treatment of CPO is a feasible method to improve the quality and deep-frying performance of refined palm oil and it could readily be adopted by the industry because it is simple and sustainable.

The study evaluated the fatty acid profile of raw and heated virgin coconut oil by using eleven food preparations submitted to two treatments: dry and moist, and crude and heat. The fat extraction was performed by the Soxhlet method and the fatty acid profile was analysed using gas chromatography. Kuskal-Wallis test was utilised to evaluate the differences among food preparation methods. The lauric acid was present in the coconut oils analysed (16.07g/L ± 1.28) and in all the preparations in which coconut oil was used. The highest concentration of lauric acid was found in Corn starch cookies (16.60g/L ± 0.32). The cookie and the cake were the preparations that showed the lowest concentration, 6.14 g/L ± 0.05 and 5.05 g/L± 0.05, respectively. The results obtained in this study are unprecedented and enable professionals in the field of food and nutrition to prescribe the best usage of coconut oil in cooking.

I argue that a method situated in the everyday visceral experience of food preparation and consumption awakens the senses into being, opening up the body in different ways in relation to materials, senses, and other bodies, offering new insight into emotion and affect. While using ‘the body as an instrument of research’ (Longhurst et al., 2008) in this manner begins with the discussion of affective relations with food, the visceral serves as a gateway to further uncovering other affective relations with place. Affect can be understood as ‘sticky’, arising from encounters between bodies and objects in the environment and influenced by history (Ahmed, 2004). Migrants undergo considerable changes in their affective response as they encounter, contemplate, and embody new experiences – making them ‘stick’. I offer a methodological examination of a visceral approach to inform our understanding of the affective response to migration through interviews with 11 Egyptian migrant women in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada as we prepare and consume a traditional Egyptian meal together. This study is a stepping stone to addressing affect as a significant place-making factor and to providing a method to access the visceral, emotional, and affective geographies of home.

Historical cookbooks as a source of recipes and food preparation information would be expected to document advancements in food safety related to kitchen equipment, cleaning, foodborne illness knowledge, and consumer education materials. In turn, this food safety information might be expected to contribute to consumers' food safety behaviors. Using both quantitative and qualitative research methodology, this study assessed how food safety information in cookbooks changed and how quickly advancements were incorporated. Faster assimilation into cookbooks was associated with kitchen equipment, educational resources (hotlines and websites), and foodborne illness outbreaks. The rate of incorporation of education materials was moderate. Cleaning advances were the slowest to be incorporated. Modern cookbooks published after the 1980's rapidly evolved with advances in food safety knowledge.

This paper presents a highly original carbon-energy calculator, designed with the aim of realistically and holistically evaluating the carbon and energy impacts of different food preparation options in delivering a restaurant menu. Its design (based on life-cycle principles) brings the customer demand (number, type and timings of meals served) during typical, peak and special weeks together with the food storage, warewashing, ventilation, cooking and hot holding appliance capacities, carbon emissions and energy usage in various states. An assessment of separate and specific behavioural, equipment maintenance, preparation and cooking strategies are performed. The baseline energy use results were validated to within 0.65% of the findings from an extensive and detailed monitoring study of a leading operator of UK public houses and restaurants [1]. Seven energy reduction scenarios were then assessed using the developed calculator. Potential energy savings of 58% (195 MWh) and emissions savings of 46% (55,224 kgCO2e) per year were indicated from replacing the chargrill, fryers and microwave combi ovens with two combi steam ovens and reducing freezing demand in the case study restaurant. This scenario projects reductions in energy use of 37.77 million kWh (£2 million) per year for the whole restaurant chain and up to 346 million kWh (£18.3 million) if applied to the whole case study organisation.

This study aimed to evaluate the recovery of structurally intact human norovirus (NoV) during Kimchi fermentation at varying temperatures. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), pH, and acidity during storage and fermentation were also measured to assess the correlation between NoV reduction and microbial or physicochemical property alterations. LAB number, NoV G titer, pH, acidity, and the ability of NoV GII.4 to persist in Kimchi stored at 4 °C and 10 °C (survivability) as determined using nano magnetic beads conjugated with poly(methyl vinyl ether-maleic anhydride) combined with quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction amplification were investigated up to 28 days post-inoculation. NoV was detected in all test samples after 28 days although the NoV recovery quantity was reduced to 1.31 (4 °C) and 1.66 (10 °C) log10 genomic copies/reaction. The time required to reduce the amount of virus by 2.57 log10 (td) on survival plots of NoV determined using a modified Weibull model was 2445 days at 4 °C and 138 days at 10 °C. These results indicate that NoV from food preparation or processing is able to persistently survive in Kimchi. Therefore, preventing NoV transmission is important for protecting Kimchi against NoV contamination.

Food handlers working in school feeding programmes can play an important role in the prevention of outbreaks of foodborne diseases in schools. This research aims to investigate the food safety knowledge and awareness of food handlers working for the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), Mpumalanga, South Africa. A cross-sectional, quantitative research method was used and food handlers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. A total of 440 food handlers from 147 randomly selected public schools participated in this survey. The vast majority (98.9%) of the respondents were females of 36 years and older with a high school education. Up to 91.4% of NSNP food preparation facilities did not have a hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) programme in place and about 93.2% of food handlers did not know about HACCP. Up to 60% of food handlers did not know the correct procedure for washing a cutting board after it had been used. In addition, 95.5% of the food handlers had never sanitized utensils and cutting surfaces after cutting up raw meat. Most food handlers of the NSNP are lacking in knowledge, awareness and attitude on many important aspects of microbial food safety hazards.

Many environmental chemicals are known to be present in or on food. In particular, low income countries can suffer from the application of mostly banned and toxic chemicals, combined with inappropriate usage, which can lead to high food contamination. To safeguard human health, residues in food are generally identified with targeted chemical analysis. There is increasing awareness of the need to assess the biological effects of mixtures of contaminants potentially present in food, but few studies have applied in vitro bioassays for monitoring chemicals in food. The present study aimed to combine a simple extraction method with bioanalytical testing of chemicals in food. Sensitive bioassays focusing on activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and bacterial toxicity were applied to detect the presence of chemicals. Liquid-liquid extraction, which was selected due to reduced solvent demand and rapid sample treatment, was applied to a range of food types. Additionally, extracted strawberry washing water was also tested to assess the impact of food preparation and cleaning. Regarding extraction efficiency, the method was more effective for high water content samples (e.g. strawberries, tomatoes) compared to fatty (e.g. fish, meat) and high fiber (e.g. apples) samples. Hence, greater effects were observed for watery samples in the studied assays, including a biological response with the washing water. Future work should focus on improvement of the liquid-liquid extraction method to address the urgent need of a simple but reliable hazard assessment tool of food for low income countries.

Objective: Known risk factors do not fully explain the comparatively high susceptibility to coronaryheart disease (CHD) in South Asians (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan populations inSouth Asia and overseas). The search for explanatory hypotheses and cofactors that raise susceptibilityof South Asians to CHD continues. The aim of this study was to propose “the high-heat foodpreparation hypothesis,” where neo-formed contaminants (NFCs) such as trans-fatty acids (TFAs)and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are the cofactors.Methods: We reviewed the actions of AGEs and TFAs, the burden of these products in tissues andblood in South Asians, the relationship between these products and CHD, the effects of preparingfood and reheating oils at high temperatures on NFCs, and the foods and mode of preparation inSouth Asian and Chinese cuisines.Results: Animal and human studies show NFCs increase the risk for CHD. Evidence on the consumptionand body burden of these products across ethnic groups is not available, and comparabledata on the NFC content of the cuisine of South Asians and potential comparison populations (e.g.,the Chinese with lower CHD rates) are limited. South Asians’ cuisine is dominated by frying androasting techniques that use high temperatures. South Asian foods have high TFA content primarilythrough the use of partially hydrogenated fats, reheated oils, and high-heat cooking. Reheating oilsgreatly increases the TFA content. In comparison, Chinese cuisine involves mostly braising,steaming, and boiling rather than frying.Conclusion: We hypothesize that South Asians’ susceptibility to CHD is partly attributable to highheattreated foods producing high NFCs. Research to accrue direct evidence is proposed.

Background Peer-led nutrition education programs have been effective in improving dietary adherence among adults. Few studies, though, have focused on the participants’ perceptions of peer-led programs and their intention to consume nutritious foods. Objective To identify campus community members’ perceptions of peer-led teaching abilities and intentions to prepare the plant-based cooking demo recipes. Study Design, Setting, Participants Based on constructs from the Social Cognitive Theory and Peer-led teaching principles, 1-hour cooking demonstrations that were offered once per month for 4 months were developed and conducted at a Southern university. Peer leaders (n = 4 dietetic students, 3 undergraduate and 1 graduate) prepared 3 plant-based dishes and incorporated an interactive learning component with participants (n = 32, 41% college students). Participants rated their perceptions and intention to prepare the recipes using a validated 5-item Likert scale and responded to 4 open-ended questions about the demos. Measurable Outcome/Analysis The scale items included teaching abilities of the peer leaders and intent to prepare the recipes. The open-ended responses included knowledge gained, strengths, and improvements of the cooking demonstrations. Frequencies from the Likert-scale items were analyzed using SPSS version 25. Main themes were identified from the open-ended responses using the content-analysis method. Results All participants agreed that the cooking demonstrations were easy to understand and 93.8% agreed that the peer leaders were confident and knowledgeable. Over 62% of participants reported their commitment to prepare the recipes and 56% were very committed to learn more about preparing plant-based foods. As reported, strengths of the demonstrations included the discussions about the nutritional value of the ingredients and the details in various food preparation techniques. Participants indicated they would have liked more hands-on opportunities. Conclusions This pilot study showed that participants perceived the peer-led cooking demos as effective and they enhanced some of the participants’ intentions to prepare plant-based food recipes. A hands-on component in this cooking demo might be useful for more of the participants to prepare plant-based foods.

Eating out of the home has been positively associated with body weight, obesity, and poor diet quality. While cooking at home has declined steadily over the last several decades, the benefits of home cooking have gained attention in recent years and many healthy cooking projects have emerged around the United States. The purpose of this study was to develop an evidence-based conceptual framework of healthy cooking behavior in relation to chronic disease prevention. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken using broad search terms. Studies analyzing the impact of cooking behaviors across a range of disciplines were included. Experts in the field reviewed the resulting constructs in a small focus group. The model was developed from the extant literature on the subject with 59 studies informing 5 individual constructs (frequency, techniques and methods, minimal usage, flavoring, and ingredient additions/replacements), further defined by a series of individual behaviors. Face validity of these constructs was supported by the focus group. A validated conceptual model is a significant step toward better understanding the relationship between cooking, disease and disease prevention and may serve as a base for future assessment tools and curricula., Highlights • A conceptual model of healthy cooking based on the extant literature is proposed. • There is no standardized definition of healthy cooking behaviors. • The model is a first step in the development of assessment tools in this field.

The purpose of this paper is to calculate carbon emissions associated with tour of four days including flights. The method is based upon a travel documentary that calculates carbon emissions associated travel, food preparation, accommodation, traffic conditions, shopping and entertainment by attributing values derived from other studies to tourist activities. While the study does not claim to have perfectly assessed carbon emissions in a trip, the method is essentially simple and can aid tourist to assess the carbon emissions of alternative travel patterns and activities. In the case study the total carbon emissions of a four day tour were 329.82 kg – which figure is akin to just over 10 times normal emissions associated with daily life patterns.

Social Cognitive Theory-based cooking workshops were offered to student-athletes enrolled in a Life Skills college course. The workshops were hands-on and emphasized the Performance Plate and basic cooking skills. Student-athletes reported increased self-efficacy for healthy food choices and cooking skills (P

Drawing from marketing literature, shopper solutions and food bundles (that group items to be used together) can promote purchase intention, efficacy, and related outcomes. Similarly, meal kits boxes (food bundles with step-by-step instructions to prepare home-cooked meals) have potential to be an accessible intervention to facilitate healthy, at-home food preparation and intake. This manuscript describes the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a community-designed and -led program promoting healthy food skills, accessibility, and intake through meal kits. This pilot study was designed using community-based participatory research principles and 60 participants enrolled in the study. Participating families received a free meal kit weekly during the 10-week program. Meal-kit boxes also included language-appropriate recipe cards, step-by-step instructions, and supplemental educational material including links to videos with related food preparation tips and fact sheets about the meal. Data were collected at baseline, post-program, and follow-up (3 months post-program). Specifically, validated measures were used to assess food insecurity, food availability, cooking preparation techniques, self-efficacy, and fruit/vegetable intake. Process data were also collected. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and Wilcoxon sign-ranked tests were used to describe data and evaluate outcomes. Content analysis was used to code open-ended survey responses into categories. Study findings indicated retention rates were high (≥90%); 83% made eight or more meal kits. At post-program, significant increases were observed in cooking/meal preparation self-efficacy, cooking techniques, and healthy food availability. At follow-up, only healthy food availability remained significantly higher. Findings suggest that meal-kit programs are feasible and acceptable, and there is a potential for these programs to influence factors important to increasing healthy home-cooked meals and dietary intake. Future research should use more rigorous designs and explore meal-kit dosage.

We studied activity concentrations of artificial 137Cs and natural 40K and concentration of total potassium (K) in Boletus edulis at different maturity stages (button, young – white, large – white and large - yellow), and the effect of braising and human dietary intake. Mushrooms were collected from the northern region of Poland in 2019. The 137Cs activity concentration was significantly higher in raw and braised button stage samples and decreased as the fruitbody matured, but conversely, 40K was lower in the raw button stage than in older fruitbodies. 137Cs activity concentrations in raw, button stage B. edulis were 36 ± 1 Bq kg−1 ww (360 ± 1 Bq kg−1 dw), increasing to 70 ± 2 Bq kg−1 ww (290 ± 7 Bq kg−1 dw) when braised. This activity was around fourteen-fold higher (p

The aim of this study was to evaluate the food safety knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of food handlers from institutional food service establishments that serve hospitals, boarding senior high schools and prisons in Accra, Ghana. A total of 278 food handlers (56.8% of hospital, 30.9% of schools and 12.3% of prison food service) participated in the cross-sectional study. Data was collected by face-to-face interviews, and responses were scored to determine the level of food safety KAP. Respondents who scored ≥70% of the maximum possible score were adjudged to have sufficient knowledge and practices and positive attitudes. Results showed that respondents generally had insufficient food safety knowledge and practices with means scores of 20.99 ± 7.64 (46%) and 9.35 ± 5.62 (52%) respectively. Attitudes towards food safety were generally negative but with a comparatively higher mean score of 12.64 ± 3.06 (63%). Areas of most concern were 1) Lack of knowledge of sources of contamination/cross-contamination and appropriate holding temperatures for food. 2) Poor practices included multiple freeze-thaw cycles for frozen food and 3) Infrequent hand washing during food preparation after coughing or sneezing. There is the need for continuous risk based training to educate and effect behavioral changes among food handlers. This process will encourage positive attitudes towards food safety and consequently promote good food safety practices.

Foodborne illness is a common and costly cause of gastroenteritis in Canada. Although high rates are expected in vulnerable populations, young adults experience a surprisingly high rate of foodborne illness. While research has indicated that young adults are undereducated in food safety, studies examining the knowledge of young Canadians, as well as approaches to improve their education, have not been conducted. An online questionnaire containing 33 questions was distributed to young adults in Canada via social media, questioning their food preparation knowledge, high risk activity knowledge, food safety information sources, and demographics. Of the 334 surveys completed, 307 were used to create the data set for this study. This study indicated that food safety knowledge in young Canadian adults (aged 19–29) is low. Common causes of foodborne illness were overlooked or not often recognized. For example, 4 °C – 60 °C was identified as an unsafe holding temperature by 41.0% of respondents; the safe internal temperature for chicken (74 °C) was identified by 38.8% of respondents. Multivariable logistic regression modeling indicated that food safety knowledge scores (proportion of questions answered correctly) were higher among females (OR = 1.20; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.37), those with previous food safety training (OR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.43), and those who indicated that they do not seek information about food safety from their family or friends (OR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.47). These results suggest the need for stronger, more targeted food safety education programs, aimed specifically at young adults. Although previous research indicated that social media may be a primary venue for education, most respondents did not desire to receive food safety information via social media at all. As such, food safety education programs targeted at this population will likely need to be multi-platform, and involve traditional and social media approaches.

Hands can be a vector for transmitting pathogenic microorganisms to foodstuffs and drinks, and to the mouths of susceptible hosts. Hand washing is the primary barrier to prevent transmission of enteric pathogens via cross contamination from infected persons. Conventional hand washing involves the use of warm water, soap and friction to remove dirt and microorganisms. Over recent years there has been an increasing availability of hand sanitizing products for use when water and soap are unavailable. The aim of this systematic review was to collate scientific information on the efficacy of hand sanitizers compared to hand washing with soap and water for the removal of foodborne pathogens from the hands of food handlers. An extensive literature search was carried out using three electronic databases - Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed. Twenty-eight scientific publications were ultimately included in the review. Analysis of the literature showed various limitations in the scientific information due to the absence of a standardized protocol to evaluate efficacy of hand products, and variation in experimental conditions applied in different studies. Despite the existence of conflicting results, scientific evidence seems to support the historical scepticism about the use of water-less hand sanitizers in food preparation settings. Water and soap appear to achieve greater removal of soil and microorganisms than water-less products from hands. None of the hand sanitizers tested in the literature seemed to achieve complete inactivation or removal of all foodborne pathogens tested, and the presence of food debris significantly affected inactivation rates of hand products.

Although avian eggshell is a common component of the faunal assemblages at archeological sites, attempts to identify it taxonomically and use it to construct complex economic arguments have been limited. One method of identifying avian eggshell, using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) to examine characteristic microstructures, can provide more specific taxonomic identifications. This study sought to test whether cross-culturally common egg preparation methods were likely to damage eggshell in ways that would make it difficult to identify taxonomically under a SEM. We found that most food preparation practices caused minimal or no damage. Only cooking eggs in hot coals caused significant damage to eggshell microstructures, making it impossible to identify these eggshells taxonomically. With the exception of fire-cooked eggs, the lack of damage to eggshell microstructures meant that SEM analysis was sufficient to identify cooked eggshells taxonomically but insufficient to differentiate most cooking techniques.

Considerable work on consumers' food safety habits has highlighted issues associated with home food preparation. However, consumer handling of foods, such as poultry, during shopping and storage has not been noted. The objective of this study was to determine consumer behaviors during purchasing and initial storage of raw poultry to determine potential cross-contamination issues. A shop-along observational study was conducted to determine actual shopping, transportation, and storage behavior of consumers who purchase raw poultry products. Neither hand sanitizer nor wipes were observed in 71% of grocery store meat sections of stores visited. Plastic bags could be found in the meat section 85% of the time, but only 25% of shoppers used the bag for their raw poultry purchases. During checkout, the poultry was bagged separately from other products 71% of the time. A majority of shoppers stored raw poultry in the original package without an additional container or overwrap. Overall, there needs to be an increase in food safety education on the handling of poultry during purchasing, transportation, and storage.

Microwave ovens allow for quick and simple cooking. However, the importance of adequate food preparation, prior to microwave cooking, and the consequences of inadequate preparation are not well-known.The authors conducted a retrospective outcome analysis of all patients who sustained facial burns from microwaved foods and were treated at a UK regional burns unit over a six-year period. Patients were identified from clinical records.Eight patients presented following inadequate preparation of either tinned potatoes (n=4) or eggs (n=4). All patients sustained2% total body surface area facial burns. Mean age was 41 years (range 21-68 years). Six cases (75%) had associated ocular injury. One received amniotic membrane grafts; this individual's vision remains poor twelve months after injury.Rapid dielectric heating of water within foods may produce high steam and vapour pressure gradients and cause explosive decompression [1,5,11]. Consumers may fail to recognise differential heating and simply cook foods for longer if they remain cool on the outer surface. Education on safe use and risks of microwave-cooked foods may help prevent these potentially serious injuries.Microwave ovens have become ubiquitous. The authors recognise the need for improved public awareness of safe microwave cooking. Burns resulting from microwave-cooked foods may have life-changing consequences.

Uneven cooking due to consumer use of microwave ovens to cook food products that have been prepared but are not ready to eat has been a documented risk factor in several foodborne disease outbreaks. However, the use of microwave ovens in restaurants and other food service establishments has not been well documented. The aim of this study was to describe the types of food service establishments that use microwave ovens, how these ovens are used, types of foods heated or cooked in these ovens, types of microwave ovens used in food service establishments, and the level of compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. From 2008 to 2009, the Minnesota Department of Health collected data from a convenience sample of 60 food establishments within the state. Facility types included fast-food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, school food service, nursing homes, hotels and motels, and daycare centers. Food preparation practices were classified as prep-serve, cookserve, or complex. Minnesota environmental health specialists administered a study questionnaire to managers during routine inspections. Establishments included in this study reported using microwave ovens primarily to warm commercial ready-to-eat products (67%) and to warm foods for palatability (50%). No minimum temperatures are required for these processes because these foods do not require pathogen destruction. However, food establishments using complex preparation practices more often reported using microwave ovens for multiple processes and for processes that require pathogen destruction. For establishments that did report microwave oven use for food requiring pathogen destruction, the majority of managers reported following most FDA recommendations for cooking and reheating for hot-holding potentially hazardous foods, but many did not report letting food stand for 2 min after cooking. Additional training on stand time after microwave cooking could be beneficial because of low reporting of this practice among study participants.