Food Protection Trends - February 2012 - (Page 73)

Copyright© 2012, International Association for Food Protection 6200 Aurora Ave., Suite 200W, Des Moines, IA 50322-2864 Food Protection Trends, Vol. 32, No. 2, Pages 73–80 Characteristics of Restaurants Associated with Critical Food Safety Violations N. MENACHEMI,1 V. A.YEAGER,1* D. M. TAYLOR,2 B. BRADEN,2 L. A. MCCLURE3 and C. OUIMET2 1 University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, Dept. of Health Care Organization & Policy, 1530 3rd Ave. South, RPHB 320, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, USA; 2Jefferson County Dept. of Health, 1400 6th Ave. South, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA; 3University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, Dept. of Biostatistics, 1530 3rd Ave. South, RPHB 327, Birmingham, AL 35294-0022, USA INTRODUCTION ABSTRACT This study examined whether restaurant characteristics are associated with critical violations identified during restaurant inspections. Using multiple years of data, we also examined changes in critical violation patterns over time. Data from all restaurant inspections in Jefferson County, Alabama between the years 2008–2010 were analyzed. The results of a total of 5,488 inspections were examined, with an average of 1,829 restaurants in operation each year of the study. Key findings suggested that certain restaurant characteristics, including cuisine-type, are associated with certain critical violations. The five most common critical violations were related to cold holding temperatures, sanitization of equipment, personnel training/ certification, hygienic practices/hand-washing, and storage/ labeling of toxic/poisonous items, including smoke from people smoking. The frequency of critical violations changed over time; some increased or worsened, whereas others decreased or improved, commonly in response to policy and enforcement changes. Overall, we find that certain food establishments are prone to specific critical violations, information which should be considered in the development of targeted educational programs and interventions for food service settings. A peer-reviewed article * Author for correspondence: Phone: +1 205.975.8961; Fax: +1 205.934.3347 E-mail: vyeager@uab.edu Despite numerous efforts to reduce its occurrence, foodborne illness remains a significant problem in the U.S., with estimates of its societal costs reaching $357 billion annually (11). It is believed that foodborne illness results in some 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths annually (12). According to recent reports, half of foodborne illness in the U.S. results from eating in restaurants (3, 5). As a component of our national food safety program, local public health departments devote considerable resources to inspecting restaurants and training food workers. Although the occurrence of foodborne illness is the ideal indicator of how well food safety programs perform, foodborne illness is severely underreported and as such it is not a reliable performance measure. In an effort to identify alternative measures, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified five risk factors that contribute to foodborne illness (14): (1) food from unsafe sources, (2) inadequate cooking, (3) improper holding temperatures, (4) contaminated equipment, and (5) poor personal hygiene. These five risk factors are included in public health inspections FEBRUARY 2012 | FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS 73 http://www.foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/Feb-12-Menachemi.pdf

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - February 2012

Food Protection Trends - February 2012
Contents
Sustaining Members
Food for Thought from Your President
Commentary from the Executive Director
Efficacy of Cleaning and Sanitizing Agents against Attached Listeria monocytogenes on Meat Slicer Components
Characteristics of Restaurants Associated with Critical Food Safety Violations
IAFP 2012–2013 Secretary Election
IAFP 2012 Award Nominations
New Members
What’s Happening in Food Safety
Industry Products
IAFP 2012
Coming Events
Advertising Index
Journal of Food Protection Table of Contents
Membership Application

Food Protection Trends - February 2012