Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the impact of four key messages (clean, separate, cook and chill) on consumers’ food handling behaviors and to measure the spread of microbial contamination from raw meats to both ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and the kitchen environment during a typical home meal preparation.
Methods: Participants (n = 123) were either exposed to the standard food safety messages through a formal presentation, video clips, or were not exposed (control). Participants subsequently prepared a main dish from raw chicken or ground beef accompanied by a RTE fruit salad. Activities were video recorded and behaviors scored. Raw meat ingredients were previously inoculated with a non-pathogenic Lactobacillus casei culture to track cross-contamination.
Results: Approximately 90% of the fruit salads prepared by all participants became contaminated. Hands and kitchen towels were identified as major contamination sources in the kitchen. There was a significant difference (P = 0.03) in the least square mean hand washing scores between the group exposed to the four messages via formal presentation and the control group. More risky food handling behaviors were seen among people handling chicken than those handling beef based on differences (P ≤ 0.01) in the least square mean cross-contamination scores of participants preparing entrees containing chicken (M = 0.87) compared to beef (M = 1.02).
Significance: Methods of relaying food safety guidance to consumers differ in their impact on consumer behaviors. Observational studies utilizing methods that quantify food safety risks must be employed to improve effective messaging.