# Presentation: 795473

## What consumers say they do...What they actually do: A comparison

- Janet B. Anderson, M.S., R.D.
- Clinical Associate Professor/ Utah State University
- Director/ Safe Food Institute

## Introduction

- Direct observation methodology
- 122 subjects
- Bag of groceries and a recipe
- Videotaped food preparation
- Administered a survey
- Coded tapes for food safety behaviors

**Notes:**
Compared actual practices to reported practices

## Handwashing Before Food Preparation

- Survey
- How often do you wash your hands with soap before preparing food?
- 60% all of the time
- 28% most of the time
- 12% some of the time

- Observation
- 52% washed hands
- 32% cold water, soap
- 6% cold water
- 5% hot water, soap
- 2% hot water
- 2% hot water, soap, and agitation
- 2% cold water, soap and agitation
- 1% sanitizing wipe

**Notes:**
81% had soap in the kitchen: 19% did not.
72% of subjects used soap.

## Time Spent Washing Hands

- Survey
- How long should you spend washing your hands before preparing food?
- Average Time: 56 sec.
- Range: 3-180 sec.

- Observation
- Average Time: 7 sec.
- Range: 1-46 sec.

**Notes:**
89% of subject report greater than 20 sec.  (Survey)

## Handwashing After Handling Raw Eggs

- Survey
- Not washing your hands after handling raw eggs
- 75% report this is risky behavior

- Observation
- 60% of subjects that prepared recipes with eggs failed to wash their hands after handling raw eggs (n=76)

**Notes:**
We observed this behavior happening 46 times – Not 46 people – 
Roughly half the recipes included egg (n=75)
Over half of the raw egg handling incidences were not followed by handwashing.  

## Method to Determine Doneness

- Survey
- How do you know when hamburgers are done?
- 64% cut the meat
- 19% color of juice
- 8% look at outside
- 3% cook for certain time
- 1% use thermometer

- Observation
- Overall
- 30% cut the meat with knife
- 34% used a utensil on the surface (juice)
- 58% looked at outside
- 0% cooked for certain time
- 3% thermometer
- 7% tasted the meat

## Thermometer Use

- Survey
- How often do you use a thermometer when cooking?
- 10% always
- 10% often
- 35% occasionally
- 41% rarely
- 3% never

- Observation
- Only 3% used a thermometer
- 1 subject used the thermometer properly

## Final Cooking Temperatures

- Survey
- To what internal temperature should ground beef be cooked?
- Range 100-500°F
- 9% reported accurate temperature (160°F)
- Observation
- Ground beef
- Range 129-197°F
- 46% undercooked
-    the ground beef entrée
-    (n=36)

**Notes:**
Survey results from thermometer study

## Final Cooking Temperature

- Survey
- To what internal temperature should chicken breast be cooked?
- Range 100-500°F
- 3% reported accurate temperature (170°F)
- Observation
- Chicken Breast (n=33)
- Range 132-191°F
- 82% of subjects undercooked the chicken entree

**Notes:**
Survey results from thermometer study n=200

## Internal Temperature

- Survey
- 89% report eating meatloaf that is pink in the middle is risky behavior
- 84% report eating rare ground beef is risky

- Observation
- Meatloaf final internal temperature ranged from 129-197°F
- 46% of subjects undercooked the beef

## Serving Entree

- Survey
- 99% report serving the cooked entrée on the same platter that was used for the raw meat or poultry without washing is risky

- Observation
- None of the subjects served the cooked entrée on the same plate as the raw food.

**Notes:**
However, this behavior occurred on one of our pilot tapes.  Behaviors are recipe driven.  

## Method for Kitchen Counter Cleaning

- Survey
- What do you use most often to clean your counter tops in your kitchen?
- 76% dishcloth
- 14% sponges
- 10% paper
-    towels

- Observation
- 46% cont. cloth
- 26% cloth
- 10% cont. sponges
- 7% sponges
- 7% paper towels
- 2% scrub brushes

## Method of Storage of Leftovers

- Survey
- How would you store a large pot of soup or stew?
- 35% a large, deep container with a cover
- 33% original pot
- 25% small, shallow containers with covers
- 4% small, shallow containers without covers
- 3% a large, deep container without a cover

- Observation
- Stored leftover entrée in:
- 23% original cooking container
- 7% large, deep container
- 48% shallow container
- 23% with a cover

## Determining if Leftovers are Safe to Eat

- Survey
- How do you determine if a leftover casserole that has been in your fridge for a while is safe to eat?
- 52% smell it
- 37% look
- 11% taste

- Actual Behavior
-    ?

## Storage of Leftovers in the Refrigerator (Days)

- Survey
- How long do you leave leftovers in the refrigerator and still consumer them?
- 54% 1-3 days
- 14% 4-6 days
- 31% 7-10 days

- Actual Behavior
- 		?

## Conclusion

- Consumers are not doing what they say they do.
- Why?
- Unaware of their behavior.
- People forget what they do.
- Answer with what is considered appropriate.

## Conclusion

- Surveys are good for assessing consumer food safety knowledge and attitude.
- Observational methodologies are necessary when assessing consumer food safety behavior.

## Thinking Globally -- Working Locally

**Thinking Globally -- Working Locally**

**A Conference on Food Safety Education**