IAFP 2009 Program Book and Abstract Book - AB98

Methods: Six focus group sessions were held in 2008, at the annual National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) meeting in Tucson, AZ. Thirty participants attended one of six 50-minute sessions conducted by a trained interviewer. Participants were NEHA conference attendees, and nearly all stated that food safety training and education was one of their job responsibilities. A series of semi-structured questions related to food safety in the retail food environment were asked of all groups. Responses were audiotaped and then transcribed. The focus group protocol was approved by the Clemson University Internal Review Board. Results: A general consensus of focus group participants was that food safety at the retail-foodservice level needs improvement. Specific challenges to training identified were: low literacy levels, language, time, money, interest, skills, and motivation. While thousands of food safety training resources are currently available, most session participants stated that more high-quality, science-based resources that could be modified to meet local conditions were needed. Participants also indicated that an on-line, easy-to-search repository was needed to minimize duplication of material development and to decrease the time needed to locate materials. Significance: The findings from this study are being used to guide Retail and Foodservice Food Safety Consortium (RFSC) work on the development of a collection and review protocol for food safety resources. This information is also being used in the development of a national Web site that will contain many of these resources. P1-98 Outreach Program to Provide Food Safety Education to Volunteer Food Handlers at Large Church-related Community Food Events KAREN EVERSTINE, Lou Ann Jopp, Deborah Durkin and Kirk Smith Minnesota Dept. of Health, Acute Disease Investigation and Control, St. Paul, MN, USA Introduction: Churches are treated differently from commercial food establishments under Minnesota statutes and typically do not receive oversight from environmental health agencies. Churches routinely host meals for their congregations; however, many also periodically host large community events which are advertised to the public and require paid admission. Food preparation for these events is typically performed by volunteers not trained in food safety for large events. Purpose: To describe foodborne disease outbreaks associated with church-related community events in Minnesota from 2004 to 2008 and to describe an outreach project to provide food safety training to volunteer food handlers at community events. Methods: We reviewed church-related foodborne outbreaks in Minnesota from 2004 to 2008. We created an outreach program to provide food safety training to food preparation volunteers at church-related community events. Pre-session and post-session evaluations administered at each class determined participants’ perception of their increase in food safety knowledge on a scale of 1 to 4. Results: Four foodborne disease outbreaks associated with church-related community events occurred in Minnesota from 2004 to 2008. The median number of documented cases per outbreak was 20.5 (range, 12 to 46). Two outbreaks were caused by E. coli O157:H7, one by C. perfringens, and one was suspected to be caused by C. perfringens. The E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks resulted in three cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome and one death. Contributing factors to these outbreaks included cross-contamination, temperature abuse, and an unapproved food source. Eight classes (with 159 people) were conducted as part of the outreach project. Participants increased their scores on all seven measures of knowledge and ability (from a mean of 2.7 to 3.7). Significance: Large church-related community food events have led to multiple foodborne outbreaks in Minnesota. It is unclear whether statewide regulation of these events would be feasible and effective. A voluntary education program has potential to provide critical food safety information to volunteers involved in these events. P1-99 Understanding Food Safety Situation Pertaining to Asian and Hispanic Restaurants AMARAT SIMONNE and Mark Brennan University of Florida, Dept. of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, Gainesville, FL, USA Introduction: Ethnic foods have gained popularity in the United States in recent years, and one of the most important outlets for these foods is ethnic food restaurants. Asian and Hispanic restaurants are among the most popular. Based on CDC data from 1990 through 2000, these cuisines face different food safety challenges. Purpose: To better understand food safety needs for Asian and Hispanic restaurants, we surveyed ethnic food restaurants in California and Florida, two states with high numbers of ethnic restaurants. Methods: Anonymous surveys containing 45-item questionnaires were mailed to 1,200 randomly selected Asian and Hispanic restaurants from each state 3 times over a period of 3 months. The surveys did not collect data that would specifically identify individual restaurants. Results: The overall response rate was 18%, with a higher rate (24%) in Florida than in California (12%). This is considered a high response rate for this type of survey. The majority of respondents (74%) in both states were from Asian restaurants (mainly Chinese), followed by Hispanic restaurants (24%) (mainly Mexican). The remainder (2%) did not specify operation type. The majority of respondents (36%) employed more than 10 people, with 28% employing 3 to 5 people, 26% employing 6 to 10 people, and 8% employing 1 to 2 people. The majority of employees were reported to be between the ages of 22 and 64. The majority of the respondents (74%) expressed food safety concerns, citing language barriers, time, and cost as obstacles to meeting their food safety goals. Respondents reported using ServSafe® (69%), FSP Certification (17%), and Thomson Prometric (3.5%) as food safety certification programs. Significance: This study documented specific food safety training needs of Asian and Hispanic restaurants, and it will be the first step toward customizing food safety training for these types of establishments. Poster 98 — Abstract Book

IAFP 2009 Program Book and Abstract Book

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