Food Safety Research and Extension Needs for the U.S. Low-Moisture Food Industry.

Autor:	Chen H; Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, United States. Electronic address: chen2401@purdue.edu., Anderson NM; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Bedford Park, IL 60501, United States. Electronic address: Nathan.Anderson@fda.hhs.gov., Grasso-Kelley EM; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Bedford Park, IL 60501, United States. Electronic address: elizabeth.grasso-kelley@fda.hhs.gov., Harris LJ; Department of Food Science and Technology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, United States. Electronic address: ljharris@ucdavis.edu., Marks BP; Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States. Electronic address: marksbp@msu.edu., McGowen L; Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, United States. Electronic address: lcmcgowe@ncsu.edu., Scharff RL; Department of Human Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, United States. Electronic address: scharff.8@osu.edu., Subbiah J; Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Fayetteville, AR 72704, United States. Electronic address: Jsubbiah@uark.edu., Tang J; Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163, United States. Electronic address: jtang@wsu.edu., Wu F; Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States. Electronic address: fwu@msu.edu., Feng Y; Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, United States. Electronic address: yfengchi@purdue.edu.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Journal of food protection [J Food Prot] 2024 Oct; Vol. 87 (10), pp. 100358. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Sep 06.
DOI:	10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100358
Abstrakt:	Historically, low-moisture foods were considered to have minimal microbial risks. However, they have been linked to many high-profile multistate outbreaks and recalls in recent years, drawing research and extension attention to low-moisture food safety. Limited studies have assessed the food safety research and extension needs for the low-moisture food industry. The objectives of this needs assessment were to explore the food safety culture and education needs, identify the food safety challenges and data gaps, and understand the barriers to adopting food-safety-enhancing technologies in the U.S. low-moisture food industry. This needs assessment was composed of two studies. In Study 1, food safety experts from the low-moisture food industry upper management participated in online interviews and a debriefing discussion session. In Study 2, an online anonymous survey was disseminated to a different group of experts with experience in the low-moisture food industry. The qualitative data were analyzed using deductive and inductive coding approaches, while the quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive analysis. Twenty-five experts participated in the studies (Study 1: n = 12; Study 2: n = 13). Common commodities that participants had worked with included nuts and seeds, spices, flour, and dried fruits and vegetables. A food safety culture conceptual framework was adapted, which included three main components: infrastructure conditions (foundation), individual's food safety knowledge, attitudes, and risk perceptions; and organizational conditions (supporting pillars). Major barriers to establishing a positive food safety culture were identified to be limited resources, difficulties in risk communication, and difficulties in behavioral change. For continual improvement in food safety performance, two major themes of food safety challenges and data gaps were identified: cleaning, sanitation, and hygienic design; and pathogen reduction. Participants perceived the main barriers discouraging the low-moisture food industry from adopting food-safety-enhancing technologies were: (1) budgetary priorities, (2) operation constraints, (3) technology validation, (4) consumer acceptance, and (5) maintaining desired product characteristics such as quality and sensory functionality. The findings of this needs assessment provide guidance for the food industry, academia, and government agencies about the direction of future research and the development of targeted extension programs that might help improve food safety in the low-moisture food industry. Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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