This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Gauci, C. Articles by Gauci, A. A. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

What does the food handler in the home know about salmonellosis and food safety?

Disease Surveillance Unit, Department of Public Health, 37-39 Rue D’Argens, Msida, Malta

Andrew Amato Gauci, MD, MSc, DLSHTM, FFPH, FRCP

Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Malta, Medical School, G’Mangia, Malta

Food-borne illness causes a significant burden of disease globally. The majority of confirmed cases of food-borne illness in Malta are caused by salmonellosis. Detailed case investigations by the Disease Surveillance Unit, Malta, revealed that most of the notified cases of infectious intestinal disease are most likely to be due to poor food safety practices in the home. Consumer awareness studies have shown that, in general, consumers are aware of the recommended food safety precautions, yet still adopt high-risk behaviours.

Three focus groups and a small case control group were formed to gather information on local consumer knowledge and attitudes towards safe food handling in the home. The responses from the three focus groups were analysed and grouped into general themes. The information obtained from these results was then used to plan a local food safety health promotion strategy.

The results show that individuals who had been exposed to salmonellosis, or who had a dependant who had been exposed, had developed a higher level of food safety knowledge and awareness. Variations between knowledge and self-reported practices make it apparent that persons have to be convinced that food safety measures are effective before they take action to change their behaviour.

In conclusion, consumer education strategies need to emphasise the burden of illness, making safe food handling meaningful to consumers. Continuous reinforcement of the messages may be effective in empowering the consumer to foster behaviour change.

Key Words: Behaviour • consumer awareness • health promotion strategy • salmonellosis

The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, Vol. 125, No. 3, 136-142 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/146642400512500318


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Gauci and D. Borg Are children attending child play areas at risk of infectious diseases? What can be done? Perspectives in Public Health, January 1, 2007; 127(1): 22 - 28. [Abstract] [PDF]