M6 Food Sanitation Videos Discussion/ research brief - Assignment Example

Food Safety Research Brief THE NEED FOR INDIVIDUAL EFFORT IN ENSURING FOOD SAFETY Background Information Despite existence of the food safety regulators, consumers continue to report food safety incidents. Food safety forms one of the crucial objectives of the Healthy people 2010 in which the focus is to reduce infections associated with food contamination. It is important for professionals in the food industry to understand consumer food safety expectations as well as the aims of the Healthy People 2020 to reduce foodborne illnesses.

A study by Kleef, Ueland, Theodoridis, Rowe, Pfenning, Houghton, Dijk, Chryssochoidis and Frewer (2009) investigated food safety incidences in countries with of varied histories of food risk management practices namely Norway, Germany, the UK and Greece. From this study, I deduced that there is need to change in food risk management in order to improve consumers’ perception about their safety when consuming food products supplied in the market. Consumers’ food safety confidence is of great importance in the food chain hence the need to ensure effective food risk management strategies.

The article’s background information reveals that only little effort has been dedicated in the understanding of consumers’ perceptions about food risk management. Kleef et al. (2009) asserts that there is need for professionals involved in the food chain to communicate the practices involved in food risk management in order to boost their food safety confidence. Methodology The researchers selected at least two food safety incidents and presented them to consumers for their evaluation. The study focused on food safety incidents related to contaminants, microbiological hazards such as E.

coli in minced meat, and animal health hazards. Participants in the study included consumers with average knowledge on food safety (Kleef et al., 2009). The study applied both qualitative and quantitative study designs aimed at eliciting important information concerning food risk management. Findings and Analysis The study results indicated authorities mandated to oversee food safety issues in such countries were focusing more on catching up with incidents of food safety than preventing such incidents.

Consumers expressed satisfaction with the Norwegian food safety regulatory authority’s efforts in addressing consumers’ food safety concerns. On the other hand, Greece reported consumer perception on efforts to safeguard consumers especially in products such as yoghurt and honey owing to emerging food safety incidences. In all countries involved in the study, consumers expressed trust in professionals in charge of food risk management in the food chain to do their best in limiting food safety incidences (Kleef et al., 2009). From the study, it is clear that despite existence of food safety regulatory authorities, food safety incidences still exist.

Past food safety incidences should form a learning experience for professionals in the food industry. Study Limitations A major limitation in this study was the use of food safety incidences that consumers were not exposed to due to the time that they occurred. This could have had negative implications on the consumers’ ability to evaluate such incidents objectively and present unbiased judgment on the employed food risk management practices. Researchers also limited the food safety incidences to only those that occurred within the span of 20 years, a criterion that could have locked out important and serious incidences that occurred outside the set time span (Kleef et al., 2009). However, the study findings provide an insight on the issues in food risk management which can be applied by professionals in the food industry to make necessary adjustments.

In conclusion, professionals in the food industry should be in the forefront in addressing consumer food safety concerns by making adjustments in their food risk management practices. Review of past food safety incidences should form part of the strategies in the prevention of food safety incidences. References Kleef, E., Ueland, O., Theodoridis, G., Rowe, G., Pfenning, U., Houghton, J., Dijk, H., Chryssochoidis, G & Frewer, L. (2009). Food risk management quality: Consumer evaluations of past and emerging food safety incidents.

Health, Risk & Society, 11 (2), 137-163.