Economic Benefits from a Food Safety Education Program

Introduction: One of the functions of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is to provide food safety education to low-income households through state extension programs. In Ohio, almost 3,500 households were served, with benefits accruing to over 7,000 household members. Before now, there has not been a study to determine the net benefits of EFNEP’s food safety program in Ohio.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to ascertain whether the costs incurred by the food safety component of Ohio EFNEP are justified by its benefits.

Methods: The projected annual illness reduction from Ohio EFNEP food safety education is estimated based on measured behavioral changes, the risk profile of the population protected, discounted years of education effectiveness, and the effectiveness of behavioral change. The economic benefit of illness reduction due to this program is estimated using the enhanced cost of illness model and compared to program costs associated with food safety education.

Results: Preliminary results suggest that the Ohio EFNEP food safety program generates substantial net benefits. Annual benefits from the program amount to $3.1 million (90% C.I.: $0.5 to $8.2 million), in comparison to $300,000 in costs attributable to food safety education.

Significance: As budgets shrink food safety education programs are in danger of facing cuts. This study shows that food safety education provides benefits to Ohio that far exceed costs. The result is an improvement in both the health and well-being of Ohio residents.