Assessment of the standard of consumer food safety behavior

An evaluation of the food safety behavior of 108 consumers was conducted by means of an HACCP-based audit. The method employed direct observation and temperature measurement linked to a standardized risk-based scoring system based on epidemiological data. A food operation risk (FOR) score was allocated to each consumer and was based on the demerit points awarded for the violation or absence of recommended control or preventative measures. Temperature abuse during food transport and storage was exhibited by more than 40% of people. A great potential for indirect and direct cross-contamination during the preparation of food was identified. Safe cooking practices were used by the majority of consumers, however, more than half of the sample cooked well in advance of consumption and few used any method to speed the cooling of cooked food. Some consumers used potentially unsafe practices such as holding cooked food at ambient temperatures for prolonged periods and inadequate reheating. Expressed as a percentage, the FOR scores ranged from 0 to 65% with over half of the subjects (58%) scoring below 20%.