Purpose: To investigate retail food safety risks at farmers’ markets in Pennsylvania, a comprehensive needs assessment, utilizing concealed vendor observations, market manager focus groups, and surveys of vendors and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) inspectors, was conducted.
Methods: During a one year period, direct concealed observations of retail food safety behaviors and characteristics of farmers’ market vendors (n = 42) in Pennsylvania were conducted using a customized, smartphone application (Food Safe Surveys). A paper-based questionnaire also was disseminated to vendors (n = 39) to evaluate self-reported food safety related behaviors. Lastly, a web-based questionnaire was disseminated to PDA inspectors (n = 47) and an in-person focus group (n = 8) of market managers was conducted to collect noncompliance inspection trends and market manager perceptions of food safety.
Results: Highlights of the observations (n = 102) revealed high risk behaviors including: improper or no hand washing associated with bare hand contact of Ready-to-Eat foods (29/102; 28%); inadequate storage of temperature-sensitive foods (31/102; 30%); and the absence of thermometers when required (62/102; 61%). Similar noncompliance behaviors were noted by PDA inspectors. In contrast, 48% (16/33) of vendors reported properly washing their hands when becoming contaminated at the market and 63% (15/24) of the vendors stated they use thermometers when required.
Significance: Through this multifaceted needs assessment, compelling inconsistencies between self-reported and observed retail food safety related behaviors at farmers’ markets were identified. More importantly, this study has provided practical and relevant scientific data for use in the development of future farmers’ market food safety training programs and outreach activities.