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PurposeThe objectives of this study were to compare the hygiene standards and food handling practices between sole-proprietor and the corporate-managed restaurants in Lebanon and to determine whether the variations between both groups are explained by and directly related to the type of management.Design/methodology/approachAn in-depth observation assessment of food safety environment and practices was conducted on a convenient sample of 50 food businesses in Beirut, which are typical of foodservice outlets in Lebanon and in many countries of the Middle East. The observation assessment checklist comprised six constructs of 2–7 components for analysis. It covered all areas including documentation and record-keeping requirements, which are crucial parts of a food safety system.FindingsThere was a significant difference in the visual assessment score between sole-proprietor (77.9 ± 18.4) and corporate group (48.5 ± 12.8). Food handlers' behavior and hygiene standards were significantly associated with the type of management. However, there were still critical gaps in the food safety performance of the corporate group suggesting other underlying factors than the type of management.Practical implicationsAdditional elements were drawn from this study for future food safety culture research. Understanding the food safety attitudes and perception of risks of the management representatives, leaders, or food business owners is vital to develop appropriate food safety interventions and foster a positive food safety culture in the foodservice industry.Originality/valueTo the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study not only in Lebanon (or MENA) but also in other regions to measure the association of management type, that is, sole-proprietor management and corporate management, with the food hygiene standards and food safety practices in the foodservice establishments. This paper presents new findings that will be of value for researchers in food safety and will complement the existing literature on food safety culture in the foodservice industry.

The recent coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has caused unprecedented turmoil and spurred fears that have profoundly changed the public's social and health behaviours, including the perception of food safety risks. One year after the pandemic and the global vaccination campaign, the public perception of food safety and the changes in their hygiene behaviour, health risks concerns, and trust were studied in Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia using a cross-sectional online survey. The results of 538 subjects showed a rise in the frequency of hygiene practices, notably in handwashing. Sixty-four percent of the participants were vaccinated, a proportion made up mainly of the Jordanians and Lebanese. For 66% and 64% of the two population groups, respectively, there were no longer trust concerns about COVID-19 health risks following vaccination, whereas the worries about getting COVID-19 persisted for others. Only 47% of participants trusted eating food prepared by vaccinated food handlers. A great majority of the Tunisians (81%) showed varying degrees of concern about COVID-19 transmission from food and the lowest vaccination rate (33%). The current study demonstrated that the impact of vaccination policy positively affects public perception of food-related risks during the pandemic. On the other hand, 33% of the surveyed Jordanians and Tunisians lost trust in the health authorities' management of the pandemic, and 45% of the Lebanese still don't trust them. Communication strategies on health and food safety with the public still represent a challenge for these and probably other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Strategies for building and maintaining public trust are crucial to curb persistent fear of food, hence, avoiding potential stigmatization affecting the food economy by promoting health awareness and positive changes in food safety perceptions for safer practices.

Foodborne diseases continue to be a global public health problem with an estimated 600 million people falling ill annually. In return, international standards are becoming stricter which poses challenges to food trade. In light of the increasing burden of foodborne diseases, many countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have upgraded their food laws and undertaken changes to the organizational structure of their regulatory institutions to maintain or expand international export activities, tighten control on local and imported products, and protect consumers’ health. However, until this date, the published information on the regional health burdens of foodborne diseases is very limited and it is not clear whether the recent changes will serve towards science-based and effective preventive functions and the adoption of the risk management approach. In this review, we summarize the recent food safety issues and the national food control systems of selected countries in the region although we were challenged with the scarcity of information. To this end, we examined the national food safety systems in the context of the five essential elements of the FAO/WHO Guidelines for Strengthening National Food Control Systems. These five elements—food law and regulations; food control management; inspection services; laboratory services; food monitoring; and epidemiological data, information, education, communication, and training—constitute the building blocks of a national food control system, but could also serve as tools to assess the effectiveness of the systems.

The impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has spanned across the various aspects of life globally. Understanding public reactions is vital for effective risk communication and outbreak control and prevention. The Arab world has diverse cultural, economic, and social structures, so public choices and decisions also vary. To investigate the changes in behavior related to food shopping and handling, precautions measures, and hygiene practices of the public during the pandemic, a web-based survey tool was developed and conducted on 1074 subjects in three Arab countries, Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia, using a snowball sampling technique. The results showed a significant reduction in RTE consumption during the pandemic, as shown in the 19.2% and 12.2% rise in the proportion of respondents not ordering hot and cold RTE food delivery, respectively. Compared to pre-COVID-19 times, a substantial increase in behaviors related to hygiene and disinfection practices (22.0%–32.2%) was observed with a lesser increase (11.2%) in handwashing practices before food preparation. Moreover, public concerns about contracting COVID-19 from food led to almost doubling the number of Tunisians using cleaning agents for washing fresh fruits and vegetables (e.g., soaps, non-food grade chlorine bleach) besides a 16% and 26.1% increase in use among the Jordanian and Lebanese, respectively. However, a third of the respondents did not follow instructions on labels for the use of chemical products. In conclusion, this study identified culture-specific shortfalls in handwashing and unsafe food handling practices during COVID-19 in the Arab countries and sheds light on the paramount role of coordinated efforts between the local health authorities and the food safety and public health stakeholders in risk communication. To reduce health risks, there need to be rigorous educational campaigns and targeted messages that reach out to the general audience on hand hygiene, the health effects of haphazard use of unsafe chemical compounds on food, and recommendations on following label instructions.

The increased consumption of ready-to-eat salads outside homes as a result of a fast paced lifestyle, awareness on their nutritional attributes and enhanced processing technology is well documented. This study aimed to determine the microbiological quality of fresh-cut salads vegetables in small and medium sized foodservice establishments (SMEs) and to identify risk factors and handling practices through observational assessment in order to investigate if an association between microbiological quality and visual assessment (inspection) scores can be established. A total of 118 samples fresh-cut vegetable salads were collected from 50 inspected locations and analysed microbiologically, in addition to 49 swabs of knives and cutting boards. There was no statistically significant correlation between visual assessment scores and bacteriological counts on vegetables or cutting boards. Nonetheless, the consistent relationship between inspection ratings on cross-contamination and cleaning components and Listeria spp. levels was statistically significant. This study demonstrated that overall visual assessment scores would not directly reflect the safety of salad vegetables and that the significance of microbiological assessment should be considered in relation to individual inspection components. It is necessary to place effective control measures on cleaning standards and risk of cross-contamination to improve the microbiological safety of fresh salad vegetables in SMEs.

Initial chopping of parsley before washing for subsequent processing into ready-to-eat foods later in the day is common in some restaurants. The aim was to evaluate the influence of pre-wash chopping on the S. Typhimurium decontamination by common washing and disinfection methods including the use of vinegar (4%, v/v, acetic acid), 0.25 g/l sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC), and water combined with manual agitation. This study demonstrated limited efficiency of applied methods and that holding pre-wash chopped leaves at 30 °C reduced the effectiveness of all washing solutions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging indicated initiation of biofilm formation after 24 h at 5 °C with noticeable adhesion of cells to inaccessible folds of the vein on the leaf surface. NaDCC was shown to be the most effective solution achieving log reductions of 1.92–3.12 on intact parsley leaves. The latter being on those held at 5 °C for 4 h; However, its effectiveness was reduced by 0.73–0.93 and 1.19 log cfu/g on chopped leaves at 5 °C and on both intact and chopped leaves at 30 °C, respectively. In conclusion, strict temperature control and avoiding pre-wash chopping are highly recommended during handling of parsley for the optimal elimination of pathogenic microorganisms.

In the developing countries, inaccessibility to safe water, lack of agricultural infrastructures and limitations to implementing good agricultural practices (GAP) are persistent challenges. To understand the spread of hazards and identify critical areas of transmission in the food chain, a total of 90 samples of raw salad vegetables (parsley, lettuce, radish) were collected from farms and post-harvest washing facilities (n = 12) in an extensively cultivated area in Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley and from wholesale market stalls traced back to surveyed fields. Our results showed high geometric mean indicator levels ranging from Escherichia coli ), 1.69–8.16 log CFU/g (total coliforms), Staphylococcus aureus ). The mean counts of total coliforms and E. coli on fresh produce followed an increasing trend from fields to the markets indicating potential sources of faecal contamination throughout the food chain. Of more concern was the presence of pathogens Listeria monocytogenes (14%) and S. aureus (45.5%) in fresh produce from harvest to retail, and Salmonella spp. was detected in 6.7% of the raw vegetables from the post-harvest washing areas. These results along with our observations highlight shortfalls in hygienic farming and postharvest practices, including the use of inappropriately treated manure and chicken litter to fertilize the crops on the fields which contributed to the high levels of S. aureus in the product at retail. Unregulated use of wash water, inadequate transportation and storage conditions with risks of cross contamination was also identified. Suggested control measures should mitigate the risks at the source and put emphasis on developing strict policies on monitoring the safety of water sources and on the application of the good agricultural and hygienic practices (GAP, GHP) on primary production stages, washing, transportation and storage at retail.

Although Lebanon has a flourishing traditional and modern food businesses, which are typical both Middle Eastern (ME) and Mediterranean cuisines, knowledge and practice of food safety performance of the food service sector are limited in the whole ME region and lacking in Lebanon. To address this, a survey was conducted in Beirut to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices related to food safety issues of food handlers (n = 80) in food service establishments (n = 50) and to assess the influence of management type on enactment of safe practices on food premises. Our data suggest that while respondents have limited knowledge of some aspects of food safety, substantial gaps in their knowledge and self-reported practices associated with critical temperature of foods and cross contamination remain, therefore posing health risks to consumer health. Food handlers in corporatemanaged food outlets showed a significantly higher awareness on food safe practices. It is concluded that the management type is an integral element of TPB (Theory of Planned Behaviour) that influence food handlers' practices and substantiate the need for more research work on safe food handling in the context of food safety culture framework in food businesses. Our data revealed the critical need for food safety education interventions and technical guidance fostered by synergistic participation of the private and public sector to support food handlers in SME's (small and medium sized enterprises).

Food safety standards are a necessity to protect consumers’ health in today’s growing global food trade. A number of studies have suggested safety standards can interrupt trade, bringing financial and technical burdens on small as well as large agri-food producers in developing countries. Other examples have shown that economical extension, key intermediaries, and funded initiatives have substantially enhanced the capacities of growers in some countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to meet the food safety and quality requirements, and improve their access to international markets. These endeavors often compensate for the weak regulatory framework, but do not offer a sustainable solution. There is a big gap in the food safety level and control systems between countries in the MENA region and those in the developed nations. This certainly has implications for the safety of fresh produce and agricultural practices, which hinders any progress in their international food trade. To overcome the barriers of legal and private standards, food safety should be a national priority for sustainable agricultural development in the MENA countries. Local governments have a primary role in adopting the vision for developing and facilitating the implementation of their national Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards that are consistent with the international requirements and adapted to local policies and environment. Together, the public and private sector’s support are instrumental to deliver the skills and infrastructure needed for leveraging the safety and quality level of the agri-food chain.

In many Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries, leafy green parsley is typically eaten raw and prepared by fine chopping several batches. This study aimed to quantify the transfer rate of S. Typhimurium (Tr) across all chopped batches in scenarios that resemble normally occurring operations in restaurants and home kitchens. Fresh parsley leaves were inoculated at concentrations of 6 and 3logCFU/g and chopped on a polyethylene cutting board (CB). Uninoculated parsleys were sequentially chopped in individual batches on the same cutting surface, 1) instantly (CB Instant), 2) after washing in water and holding at 30°C 24h (CBWW), 3) after washing in soapy water, sponge scrubbing and holding at 30°C 24h (CB SW). Using the high inoculum levels, the mean Tr was 0.012±0.04, 0.014±0.02 and 0.010±0.008, via CB Instant, WW and SW, respectively. Comparatively, the Tr mean values were significantly higher with the low inoculum levels, 0.60±0.65 and 0.64±0.46, via CB Instant and CB WW respectively, and transmissions of S. Typhimurium significantly decreased across consecutively chopped batches on both washed CBs (P0.05). These results demonstrated continuous transfer of Salmonella cells, from contaminated parsley to cutting boards and subsequently re-contaminating up to 6 batches of parsley chopped consecutively on the same surface. A greater cross-contamination rate was recorded during the initial phases of chopping and remained at 24h at 30°C. Vigilant cleaning and sanitation procedures on cutting surfaces should be a fundamental requirement after use with fresh produce, particularly if there is a likelihood of insufficient food safety measures at harvest and post-harvest stages.

Pomegranate (PG) molasses is an essential condiment that is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine in local and international gastronomic markets. There is scarce information on the inhibitory effect of PG molasses on Salmonella growth mainly under in situ conditions and in a food matrix. PG molasses in different dilution ratios of 1:1 and 1:7, combined with sodium chloride (2%, v/v), vinegar (2.4%, v/v), and in a dressing mix was tested against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 on parsley and salad vegetables. The results showed significant log reductions in Salmonella on parsley treated with PG solutions for 15, 30, and 60 min, reaching a level of 2.55 log cfu/g. The addition of sodium chloride (2%, v/v) and vinegar (2.4%, v/v) to PG molasses did not exert a synergistic or antagonistic effect on its antibacterial activity. Additionally, the application of PG molasses dressing on salads contaminated with low (3 log cfu/g) and high (6 log cfu/g) inoculum levels resulted in 2–3 log reduction independent of temperature (p

Introduction: Fresh produce has been implicated in a number of documented outbreaks of foodborne illness caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have been detected on vegetables, raising concerns about the prevalence of E. coli contamination in produce, which can take place at various points from farm to fork. This study aimed to detect the presence of STEC and multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli on fresh vegetables and water from different sources along the fresh produce supply chain in Lebanon. Methodology: E. coli isolates (n = 60) were group serotyped using trivalent antisera (trivalent 1 [O111+O55+O26], trivalent 2 [O86+O119+O127], trivalent 3 [O125; O126; O128], and trivalent 4 [O114+O124+O142]) and tested for stx 1 and stx 2 genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Resistance to antimicrobial agents was determined using the disk diffusion method. Results: The virulence genes stx 1 and stx 2 were not detected in any of the isolates. However, 60% of the isolates were MDR and predominantly observed in trivalent 2 (32%). It is postulated that the inadequate post-harvest washing contributed to transmission of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli at wholesale and retail levels. Fresh vegetables harbor MDR E. coli and their consumption poses risks of increasing the reservoir of antimicrobial resistance in the intestines of the Lebanese population . Conclusions: Greater emphasis should be placed on vigilant sanitation measures at the consumption level, and effective national risk mitigation strategies are crucial to minimize fecal contamination in the early stages of production, particularly in the post-harvest washing processes.