Evaluation of the “tasty and safe” food safety intervention for older adults

Introduction: Older adults are more likely than the general population to experience complications, hospitalization, and death because of foodborne infections. Research suggests older adults do not follow specific food safety practices; thus, innovative approaches to motivate old adults to safely handle and prepare food at home are needed. Methods: Developed and evaluated the “Tasty and Safe” intervention, an education program designed for older adults that featured a food safety booklet and a recipe binder and supplemented with three monthly mailings of recipes and food safety tips. Distributed the intervention to 306 adults aged 60 and older throughout the United States and conducted pre- and post-test surveys to assess their reaction to the intervention and self-reported changes in food safety practices. Results: Examining changes from pre- to post-intervention, we found that some respondents improved their food safety practices. For respondents who reported consuming the potentially risky food at pre-intervention, 29% reported not consuming soft cheeses since exposure to the intervention and 28% reporting not consuming cold deli meats without reheating. For respondents who reported following the unsafe practice at pre-intervention, 51% started following practices to prevent cross-contamination when using a cutting board; 44% started safely storing raw meat, poultry, and seafood in the refrigerator; 27% purchased a food thermometer; and 6% started cleaning the inside of the refrigerator weekly. Discussion: The intervention was well received by participants. The findings suggest that some older adults changed their food safety practices, but additional research is needed to attribute these changes to the intervention.