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Consumer Response to Food Safety Information

Objective

The ongoing project examines the relationships among information sources, food safety attitudes, and safe handling behavior, and tests whether relationships differ among ethnic groups. Results of the analysis can be used to identify target groups for consumer food safety education and idenitfy important messages. Research being conducted under a fy2002 cooperative agreement with North Carolina A&T focuses specifically on African-Americans in the South. African American perceive higher levels of risk than other ethnic groups and report using practices to prevent cross-contamination in greater percentages, but they report safe refrigeration in lower numbers.

More information

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The ongoing project examines the relationships among information sources, food safety knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes, and safe food handling behavior. <P> APPROACH: Web based surveys <P>

PROGRESS: 2003/10 TO 2004/09<br/>
This project will be completed in 2004. Kofi Adu-Nyako from NCA&T presented a seminar at ERS in October 2003 on ethnic differences in food safety attitudes and behavior in the Southeastern U.S. A paper based on these findings will be presented at the AAEA meetings in August 2004. The study showed that in 5 Southeastern states, awareness of safe handling labels on meat and poultry was significantly associated with safe handling behavior even after accounting for perceived risk. African-americans were more likely to follow some food safety recommendations but not others. The project also included national survey of food safety knowledge and behavior focusing on hamburger preparation as a case study. See Consumer Food Safety Behavior: A Case Study in Hamburger Cooking and Ordering, AER-804, May 2002.
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IMPACT: 2003/10 TO 2004/09 <br/>
The work has the potential to inform more effective food safety education strategies in the Southeast.

Investigators
Ralston, Katherine; Buzby, Jean
Institution
USDA - Economic Research Service
Start date
2002
End date
2003
Funding Source
Project number
DSHE2
Accession number
406175