Start Date

7-1-2011 8:00 AM

End Date

7-1-2011 9:15 AM

Track

1. Track 1 – Formal Paper Presentation

Subject Area

Food Service

Faculty Member

Behnke, Carl (chefcarl@purdue.edu)

Abstract

Temporary foodservice establishments, such as are found at farmers’ markets, are increasing in popularity. However, regulation of these foodservice vendors tends to fall in a grey area; some vendors do not fall under formal health department supervision, and others may sell food prepared in uninspected home facilities. This study focused on the development of an instrument to assess key temporary foodservice establishment food safety practices, specifically, behaviors related to food handling, hand washing, or glove usage. In order to minimize the Hawthorne Effect, this study chose a novel technology-oriented approach. Employee behaviors were observed and coded in accordance with Indiana Health Department criteria. Preliminary results suggest that the examination of food handling behaviors in temporary foodservice establishment employees is warranted, and that the use of observational techniques combined with smart phone technology did seem to capture the sequence of employee actions, while simultaneously minimizing the Hawthorne Effect.

Keywords

Food safety, Hand washing, Temporary foodservice establishments, Farmers’ market, Smart phone

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Jan 7th, 8:00 AM Jan 7th, 9:15 AM

The Development of an Observational Instrument Assessing Food Safety Practices in Temporary Foodservice Establishments

Temporary foodservice establishments, such as are found at farmers’ markets, are increasing in popularity. However, regulation of these foodservice vendors tends to fall in a grey area; some vendors do not fall under formal health department supervision, and others may sell food prepared in uninspected home facilities. This study focused on the development of an instrument to assess key temporary foodservice establishment food safety practices, specifically, behaviors related to food handling, hand washing, or glove usage. In order to minimize the Hawthorne Effect, this study chose a novel technology-oriented approach. Employee behaviors were observed and coded in accordance with Indiana Health Department criteria. Preliminary results suggest that the examination of food handling behaviors in temporary foodservice establishment employees is warranted, and that the use of observational techniques combined with smart phone technology did seem to capture the sequence of employee actions, while simultaneously minimizing the Hawthorne Effect.