Food borne pathogens cause an estimated 76 million illnesses and over 5000 deaths per year in the United States. Public sector costs of food borne illnesses are estimated to be $6.6 to $37.1 billion annually. Food safety is an increasingly critical issue; emerging pathogens such as E. coli O157:H7 and other microorganisms have become established in our food supply. International food distribution systems add to the complexity of this problem. Additionally, lifestyle changes in the United States are resulting in more dependence on food prepared outside the home, and improper handling by retail employees remains one of the most common sources of food borne illness. Clearly, safe food handling training programs targeting food handlers are needed to address these problems. While there are many programs available for food handlers, most are targeted towards higher-level workers (i.e., managers or supervisors) and use knowledge-based approaches. While knowledge-based programs may seem like a reasonable approach, other public health campaigns have demonstrated that knowledge alone is rarely enough to adequately change behavior, and that behavior-change approaches are more effective. This project developed and evaluated a theoretically based behavioral-change training program for entry-level food handlers. With input from industry, regulatory agencies, behavior change and curriculum design experts, a video-based Internet program was developed and evaluated in a randomized control trial with over 1000 participants in Oregon. This presentation covers the development process of the program, and discusses results from the evaluation. Excerpts from the program will be shown.
Learning Objectives: By the end of the program, participants will be able to: List key elements for effective food worker training. Describe the development process for an internet-based program
Keywords: Food Safety, Training
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Oregon Center for Applied Science, Inc.
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment