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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Amy M. Lando, MPP and Sara B. Fein, PhD. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Administration, HFS-727, 5100 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD 20740, 301-436-1996, amy.lando@cfsan.fda.gov
Proper storage of food in the home is an important practice for preventing foodborne illnesses. Data about consumers’ self-reported refrigeration practices from the 1998 Food Safety Survey were analyzed descriptively and by logistic regression. FDA has issued guidance, not regulation, on the content and placement of refrigeration statements on packages; so the clarity and consistency of statements varies across food packages. Twelve percent of the 2001 respondents reported having trouble deciding whether to refrigerate a product in the past three months. Those most likely to have trouble deciding whether to refrigerate or not were those likely to be more attuned to food safety issues. They included: females, those with some college or higher education, the middle aged, people who look at many sources of food information, respondents who thought that a household member had a recent foodborne illness, and those who believe that it is very common for people to get food poisoning from handling food at home. The most problematic foods were ones stored on a shelf when purchased that might need to be refrigerated after opening to maintain safety. This finding may suggest that storage information on packages is particularly important for foods that can be stored at room temperature until opened and then need refrigeration
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Food Safety, Food and Nutrition
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.