Food Protection Trends - September/October 2023 - 391

David Obande,1* David L. Pearl,1 Ian Young,2
PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLE
and Andrew Papadopoulos1
1
2
Food Protection Trends, Vol 43, No. 5, p. 391-408
https://doi.org/10.4315/FPT-22-039
Dept. of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph,
ON, Canada N1G 2W1
School of Occupational and Public Health, Toronto Metropolitan University,
350 Victoria St., Toronto, ON, Canada M5B 2K3
Copyright©
2023, International Association for Food Protection
2900 100th Street, Suite 309, Des Moines, IA 50322-3855, USA
Identifying Predictors of Safe Food Handling
Practices among Canadian Households with
Children Under Eighteen Years
ABSTRACT
Poor food handling practices at home are a common
cause of foodborne illness. Children are more susceptible
to foodborne illness than adults. Because children's food
safety depends on the safe food handling practices of
parents and caregivers, this study aims to identify determinants
of safe food handling practices among Canadian
families with children under 18 years. Data for Canadian
households with children (n = 294) were extracted from
a larger telephone survey conducted across all Canadian
provinces and territories between 2014 and 2015.
Four food safety practice outcomes and six demographic
variables were examined using multivariable logistics
regression. Most survey participants were females (56%)
who had less than a bachelor's degree (67%) and were
caring for one child (55%). Approximately 90% of caregivers
reported proper hand hygiene, and 79% refrigerated
leftovers within 2 h of cooking. Only 33% of caregivers reported
preventing cross-contamination, and fewer reported
using food thermometers for poultry cuts (13%) and hamburgers
(11%). Those in the higher income and education
categories were less likely to follow safe food handling
practices such as hand hygiene and safe refrigeration of
leftovers. This research highlights the need for food safety
interventions that target Canadian families with children
within certain demographic groups.
INTRODUCTION
Children are disproportionately affected by foodborne
illnesses and, if infected, have an increased risk of developing
severe sequelae, such as kidney disease, reactive arthritis,
and bloodstream infection (25). The risk of Salmonella and
Campylobacter infections is higher for children than all other
age groups (33). Children are also three times more likely to
be hospitalized once infected with Salmonella (33). Those
under five years of age are at higher risk of hemolytic uremic
syndrome than any other age group. For example, according
to the 2015 U.S. FoodNet report, of 98 confirmed cases of
E. coli O157:H7 in children under five, approximately 22%
developed hemolytic uremic syndrome (10).
Children are more susceptible to foodborne illnesses
because their underdeveloped immune system impairs their
*Author for correspondence: Phone: +1 647.718.8512; Email: obandedav@gmail.com
September/October Food Protection Trends 391
https://www.foodprotection.org/files/food-protection-trends/sep-oct-23-obande.pdf https://www.doi.org/10.4315/FPT-22-039
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