Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
BMC Public Health. 2010 Jun 16;10:345. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-345.
In Ontario, local public health inspectors play an important frontline role in protecting the public from foodborne illness. This study was an in-depth exploration of public health inspectors' perceptions of the key food safety issues in public health, and their opinions and needs with regards to food safety information resources.
Four focus group discussions were conducted with public health inspectors from the Central West region of Ontario, Canada during June and July, 2008. A questioning route was used to standardize qualitative data collection. Audio recordings of sessions were transcribed verbatim and data-driven content analysis was performed.
A total of 23 public health inspectors participated in four focus group discussions. Five themes emerged as key food safety issues: time-temperature abuse, inadequate handwashing, cross-contamination, the lack of food safety knowledge by food handlers and food premise operators, and the lack of food safety information and knowledge about specialty foods (i.e., foods from different cultures). In general, participants reported confidence with their current knowledge of food safety issues and foodborne pathogens. Participants highlighted the need for a central source for food safety information, access to up-to-date food safety information, resources in different languages, and additional food safety information on specialty foods.
The information gathered from these focus groups can provide a basis for the development of resources that will meet the specific needs of public health inspectors involved in protecting and promoting food safety.
在安大略省，当地的公共卫生检查员在保护公众免受食源性疾病方面发挥着重要的前线作用。本研究深入探讨了公共卫生检查员对公共卫生中关键食品安全问题的看法，以及他们对食品安全信息资源的意见和需求。
2008 年 6 月至 7 月，在加拿大安大略省中西部地区，对 23 名公共卫生检查员进行了 4 次焦点小组讨论。使用提问路线使定性数据收集标准化。会话的音频记录被逐字转录，并进行了基于数据的内容分析。
共有 23 名公共卫生检查员参加了 4 次焦点小组讨论。出现了五个关键的食品安全问题主题：时间-温度滥用、洗手不充分、交叉污染、食品处理人员和食品经营场所缺乏食品安全知识，以及缺乏关于特殊食品（即来自不同文化的食品）的食品安全信息和知识。总的来说，参与者对他们目前的食品安全问题和食源性病原体知识表示有信心。参与者强调需要一个食品安全信息的中心来源，获取最新的食品安全信息，不同语言的资源，以及特殊食品的额外食品安全信息。
从这些焦点小组收集的信息可以为开发资源提供基础，这些资源将满足参与保护和促进食品安全的公共卫生检查员的具体需求。
