Food safety knowledge and behavior of emergency food relief organization workers: effects of food safety training intervention.

The food safety knowledge and food-handling behaviors of 267 volunteer and staff workers in emergency food relief organizations in western New York State were assessed before and after food safety training. Training was voluntary and emphasized basic food safety and prevention of foodborne illness. Results from the pre-test showed major gaps in the knowledge and behaviors of those working with physically vulnerable populations in emergency food services. These gaps, particularly failure to use food thermometers and unsafe use of hands, could lead to outbreaks of foodborne disease. Independent-samples t-tests, used to compare pre- and post-test scores, indicated that workers' knowledge and reported behaviors significantly improved followin good safety training (p < .0001). There is a need for relevant and ongoing food safety education in this group.