Method triangulation to assess different aspects of food safety culture in food service operations

Methods and measures in food service food safety research: A review of the published literature

Purpose

Food handlers working in food service establishments need to perform appropriate and consistent food safety practices to ensure that the prepared food is safe for consumers to eat, as a failure to do so may lead to foodborne illness. It is important to have an in-depth understanding of food handler food safety behaviour in the food service sector to design targeted educational interventions and approaches to safeguard consumers. The purpose of this review is to provide insight to the existing body of research regarding food handler food safety in the food service sector, and to identify future research needs in terms of methods and measures.

Methods

This study is a review of published food safety research studies (n = 118) focusing on food handlers in the food service sector conducted between 2001 and 2021. Data were collated regarding the methods used and the measures assessed in published studies to identify the gaps in current knowledge related to food safety in food service.

Findings

The majority of studies were conducted in the United States (29%), Brazil (17%) and United Kingdom (7%). A large proportion were carried out in restaurants (70%). Less than a third of studies (28%) relied on a mixed method approach for data collection; and only 12% of studies assessed a combination of cognitive and behavioural measures. Observation was used in only 29% of studies. A lack of observational data detailing food safety practices such as handwashing, temperature control, separation and cleaning was determined.

Significance

Such findings indicate a greater need for mixed method approach in future food safety research. It is recommended that the understanding of food handler food safety performance is best obtained through a combined assessment of cognitive and behavioural measures with subsequent triangulation of findings to reduce bias and to obtain reliable results.

Food safety culture in food companies amid the Lebanese economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic

The challenges to food safety in Lebanon are many and have worsened due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Lebanese economic crisis. Against a backdrop of loosely enforced food laws and regulations, a cross-sectional study was carried out in 23 Lebanese food companies on 204 participants using a validated online food safety culture self-assessment tool consisting of 28 indicators. Food safety motivation, burnout/job stress and conscientiousness and their impact on food safety culture were also investigated. Overall, the perceived food safety culture was "good" with a mean value of 119.1 over 140 (equivalent to 4.3/5). A young workforce, the female gender, a science background, and a university degree were associated with a higher food safety culture. The food safety culture score was also perceived higher among participants who attended food safety trainings, and among those working at the managerial level and in the quality department. In addition, the results showed that the food safety culture was significantly better in companies exporting their goods than companies with no international market exposure (121.6 vs 118.1). Moreover, Food safety motivation (mean score 4.1/5) and conscientiousness (3.5/5) were moderately associated with a positive food safety culture. However, the low burnout/job stress scores (2.8/5) may exhibit a negative impact on the food safety culture and could be related to several consequences caused by the Lebanese economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. Further studies are to be conducted to understand better the causal effects relationship.

The relationship among safety leadership, risk perception, safety culture, and safety performance: Military volunteer soldiers as a case study

Safety is fundamental to any organization; if not based on safety, organizational decision-making and management would be meaningless. For a country, soldiers are responsible for national security; they serve as a barrier that defends a country against external invasive forces, thus assuming great missions and responsibilities on their shoulders. To ensure soldiers fulfill their duties of protecting the country and the people, they should gain clear risk perception, which should be instilled into them during their daily combat readiness training. Only when their performances meet safety criteria can they become a strong fighting force. This study recruited military volunteer soldiers as its research participants and employed convenience sampling to distribute questionnaires. In total, this research collected 725 valid copies, of which the data were used to explore the relationship among safety leadership, risk perception, safety culture, and safety performance. To achieve this goal, this study proposed some research hypotheses based on literature review. The hypotheses were all verified via latent variable modeling and multiple hierarchical regression analysis after the reliability and validity of each construct had been tested via confirmatory factor analysis. The research results showed that the more deeply military volunteer soldiers sense safety leadership, the clearer their risk perception will be and the more helpful it would be in achieving safety performance. It is worth mentioning that risk perception can serve as a mediator while safety culture can mediate the relationship between safety leadership and safety performance. Lastly, the research proposes suggestions in the section of conclusions, which provides reference to the combat readiness training and daily tasks of soldiers.

A fuzzy ANP-DEMATEL model on faulty behavior risks: implications for improving safety in the workplace

The occurrence of occupational accidents and injuries has always been a major concern for industrial management. Such undesirable incidences are higher in developing countries, especially in India, than in developed countries. This research aims to identify, analyze and evaluate the faulty behavior risks (FBRs) that trigger occupational accidents and injuries. Using a data triangulation strategy, this study identified 19 FBR factors under five categories. An integrated approach comprising the fuzzy analytic network process (ANP) and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is proposed for assessing these FBRs. The five most prominent critical risk factors are the absence of continuous monitoring, defective equipment and maintenance, cognitive bias, proper signage and adverse ambient working conditions. The study postulates some implications for industrial management to mitigate occupational accidents and injuries based on the outcomes.

Methods to perform risk-based inspections of food companies

Risk‐based monitoring programs are increasingly applied for cost‐effective monitoring of food safety. Such programs ideally consist of three steps: risk‐ranking, risk‐based inspections, and cost‐effective monitoring. Various methods have been described to perform the first step of risk‐based monitoring. However, once the risk‐ranking has been completed, identifying the hazard‐food combinations to monitor, the frequency of inspection needs to be established based on a prioritization of food business operators (FBOs). The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of methods available for risk‐based inspections. Literature shows that FBO's food safety compliance can be assessed based on company size, historical monitoring data, and socio‐economic factors influencing compliance behavior. Non‐compliance can either be intentional or unintentional. The latter can be assessed by evaluating the food safety culture of a company. Various models—ranging from qualitative (e.g., focus groups) to quantitative (e.g., scoring)—can be used for this purpose. These models usually include an evaluation of the organizational structure (e.g., management control, communication, commitment), the technical food safety environment (e.g., hygienic design, zoning), and employee characteristics (e.g., knowledge, risk awareness). Intentional non‐compliance can be assessed using food fraud vulnerability tools. These tools incorporate factors influencing the likelihood of food fraud at the company, that is, opportunity, motivation, and (lack of) control measures. The literature indicates that either self‐assessment tools or risk matrices are applied. There is no global consensus on the methods to apply for risk‐based inspections. Depending on time and budget available as well as preferred output, one of the presented methods may be applied for prioritizing FBOs.

Improving Food Safety Culture in Nigeria: A Review of Practical Issues

As a developing nation and the most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria has enormous challenges connected with food safety culture. To produce and provide safe, secure and nutritious food, consumers and food businesses must abide by a set of shared values known as food safety culture. In Nigeria, food safety culture is a complex subject due to Nigeria’s heterogeneous and diverse nature, as demonstrated by its over 250 ethnic groups. As Nigeria becomes more urbanized and incomes continue to fluctuate at robust rates, few Nigerians are conscious of food safety issues. In addition, oversight from government regulators around food safety require improvement. Public engagement in food safety issues has not witnessed a promising trajectory in recent years. In this article, we provide a review of the food safety culture in Nigeria and its role and influence on various cases of food safety issues in Nigeria. Of interest to this paper are studies exploring consumer and food handler perceptions and behavior regarding food safety. In addition, keen attention is devoted to areas that are in need of additional research to help address practical and on-the-ground challenges associated with Nigeria’s food safety practices. This article suggests that improving food safety culture in Nigeria requires both applying the best management and communication approaches in different regions and understanding the local food safety practices.

Team perception of the radiation safety climate in the hybrid angiography suite: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Good radiation safety practice in the angiosuite is essential to protect patients and healthcare workers. Most strategies aim to advance radiation safety through technological upgrades and educational initiatives. However, safety literature suggests that additional ways to improve radiation safety in the angiosuite do exist. The safety climate reflects the way team members perceive various key characteristics of their work environment and is closely related to relevant safety outcomes. A specific 'radiation safety climate' has not been described nor studied in the hybrid angiosuite. This study explores the radiation safety climate in the hybrid angiosuite and its relation to team members' radiation safety behavior, knowledge and motivation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Vascular surgeons, fellows/trainees and operating room nurses active in the angiosuite at five hospitals were invited to complete an online self-report questionnaire assessing the radiation safety climate (28 items); radiation safety behavior; radiation safety knowledge and radiation safety motivation. Relations between climate scores and behavior were investigated using Pearson correlations. Mediation was analyzed using the Baron and Kenny analysis. P-Values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

No major differences were identified in total radiation safety climate scores between centers or team member functions. Scale reliability for radiation safety climate was good to excellent (α > 0.663). Total radiation safety climate scores were positively related to the radiation safety behavior score (r = 0.403; p = 0.015). This relation was partially mediated by radiation safety knowledge (β = 0.1730; 95% CI: [0.0475; 0.3512]), while radiation safety motivation did not act as a mediator: (β = 0.010; 95% CI: [-0.0561; 0.0998]).

CONCLUSION

A well-developed radiation safety climate in the hybrid angiosuite fosters positive radiation safety behaviors, which may partially be explained through improved radiation safety knowledge transfer. Further research on (radiation) safety climate and its impact on radiation safety-related outcome measures for patients is recommended.