Food Protection Trends - August 2008 - 588

whether or not they consumed those items (eggs without firm yolks, pink hamburger meat, raw or uncooked seafood, homemade cookie dough, and unpasteurized milk or juice). Group discussions were based on previous research indicating which risky foods college students were likely to consume (11, 15). Students were concerned with raw meats and with hamburger meat that was still pink, and they tried to avoid these foods, but they were not as concerned if steaks were still pink. One student stated that pink steak was okay because “If it is cooked too long, it gets tough.” Another student stated, “I don’t know the temperature to cook it [steak] to.” Most students who ate eggs that did not have firm yolks stated they were unlikely to change this behavior because of their enjoyment of the taste of the food item. One student stated she is, “Aware of the risks” with runny eggs but, “Ignores the risks involved.” Similarly, students also ate raw homemade cookie dough and even after discussion of foodborne illness risk from raw eggs, students indicated that the enjoyment of eating raw homemade cookie dough outweighed the risks and that they were not likely to change this risky behavior. One student stated, “Taste outweighs risk. Taking a little seems okay.” Other student comments concerning raw cookie dough were, “A little bit will not hurt;” “I started eating it when I was younger;” “You eat it before you think” and “It’s the same as eating cookie dough ice cream.” Many students in all majors assumed they were drinking pasteurized juices and were unaware that not all fruit juices are pasteurized. By law, unpasteurized fruit juice must clearly state so on the label (14). Sanitation. Students were asked to discuss whether hand washing during meal preparation was important. In a previous study (3), it was found that half of college students did not wash their hands. Many of our students reported frequently washing their hands while cooking, but inconvenience was a factor for some. One student stated, “I’m always in a rush and may not use soap if none is available.” Students indicated they were most likely to wash their hands frequently when handling raw meats. Comments were, “I wash very often, especially if handling raw meats” and “I wash when I begin [cooking] and anytime I touch raw meats.” Inaccurate perceptions were voiced. Raw vegetables were generally not viewed as high risk. When discussing alfalfa sprouts, a student stated, “I’m not concerned about eating them” and another student said, “I don’t think of them as high risk because they are a vegetable.” Students did not consider the possible contaminants from soil or contact with other foods. Washing hands after handling raw vegetables was not viewed as important to many students. One student stated, “I wash hands whenever I touch something raw but not as much when changing vegetables.” A common thought voiced by students was, “I don’t care about vegetables, just meats” and “They are higher risk than raw vegetables.” Cooling and storage of foods after cooking. Students were asked how they refrigerated and portioned cooked foods. A previous study of food handling after cooking showed that food storage practices of young adults were poor (3). Many of our students with previous food safety training and education (primarily health majors) indicated that they stored foods immediately after cooking, generally in the recommended depth of not more than two inches. One student stated, “I know to toss [food] after two hours. I don’t cook a lot at one time, and if I do, I freeze in small portions.” Non-health majors generally stated that they stored foods in the refrigerator within one hour of cooking, a safe food handling practice. As stated by a student, “I refrigerate food within 30 minutes because so many people use the kitchen.” Students stated they often stored foods in smaller portions because they needed only single servings for future meals. As stated by one student, “I portion into individual sizes for storing.” Openness to change Willingness to c hange . After discussion of hand washing and washing of cutting boards during preparation of food items, students indicated they would be open to change if soap and water were readily available. After discussion of the correct way to thaw, cool, and store foods, students stated that they would be willing to make the recommended changes because they were simple and inexpensive. One student stated she would make the changes because “Safety is better than getting sick.” Students reported that they might be willing to use food thermometers if the thermometer cost was low, if they were shown the correct way to use the thermometer, and if correct cooking temperatures were available for them. Students suggested magnetized cooking temperatures charts. Comments by students were, “I would use one if I were given a sheet to tell the correct temperature” and “It would depend on the cost [of the thermometer].” Students indicated that they enjoyed learning new information about food safety practices and that the information was important to them. Willingness to change food safety habits had not been previously reported in food safety studies with college students. Barriers to change. Students were queried regarding barriers that might prevent them from using recommended practices. Many students stated that it was hard to change old habits. Again, cost, time, and convenience were mentioned often. For example, students believed it could be expensive to acquire food and refrigerator/freezer thermometers. A student stated she might not start using thermometers because, “[Thermometer] cost could prevent it.” One student stated, “If I had to constantly wash the cutting board between foods, I probably wouldn’t because of time.” Other comments were, “College students like low maintenance food preparation;” “People don’t like to make changes so it’s hard to get people to change” and “Time management could make a difference in learning the new things.” Finally, as noted previously, students stated a resistance to changing behaviors with regard to homemade cookie dough and eggs without firm yolks, preferring taste over food safety concerns. As noted previously, barriers to change have not been previously reported in survey focused food safety studies with college students. DISCUSSION Previous research indicated that college students did not feel a personal responsibility for food safety (15). We found similar results. Students were generally not concerned about food safety in their own homes and they trusted their personal practices, despite lapses in hand washing and use of meat thermometers, 588 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | AUGUST 2008

Food Protection Trends - August 2008

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