By Laura Gorham
Floridians believe they can prevent foodborne illnesses, but a study by the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education shows their behaviors don’t necessarily promote pathogen-free food.
The PIE Center explored Floridians’ attitudes, perceptions and opinions of food safety, food security and genetically modified food in its newest public opinion survey. Researchers asked 510 respondents a series of questions focusing on concerns and attitudes toward food safety, food security and genetically modified food in an online survey and then weighted the responses to be representative of 2010 Census demographics.
The majority of respondents, 57 percent, agreed or strongly agreed that they could avoid unsafe food if they were careful. In addition, 39 percent of respondents believed they could control food safety.
Although consumers in the study think they avoid unsafe food, only 64 percent of respondents said they always wash their hands before eating and only 46 percent said they always disinfect counters before preparing food.
Eighty-five percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their preparation could impact food safety, but only 73 percent of respondents reported always washing fresh fruits and vegetables.
Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and get on hands, cutting boards, countertops and more, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which lists cleaning as its first step to protect against foodborne illnesses. The FDA recommends people rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water even if the produce has a skin or rind that isn’t eaten.
Although the risk of foodborne illness at home is significant, respondents showed a larger concern about food prepared in restaurants than the food in their own kitchens.
Eighty-five percent of respondents were at least slightly worried about the safety of food when they ate at restaurants, but 48 percent of the respondents were not worried about the safety of food prepared at home.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, more than 128,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die each year from foodborne disease.
Because of public health concerns, the U.S. Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2011 to ensure that food will be safe by the time it reaches the consumer. The law gives the FDA the authority to order recalls of contaminated foods and the power to regulate many aspects of food production.
PIE Center Director Tracy Irani said that consumers should be careful about food safety and food safety educators need to examine more targeted approaches to curtail unsafe practices.
“We put a lot of effort into food safety education and what we’re finding is that it is really difficult to move the needle on behavior,” she said. “We can’t always get the actual practices to change.”
The PIE Center study aimed at understanding the public’s perceptions and opinions of food production practices. More than 500 Floridians responded to the online survey, and researchers weighted the responses to be representative of 2010 Census demographics.
The survey, like others in the PIE Center’s series of public opinion surveys, will repeat annually to track changes in public opinion over time. Previous topics include water quantity and quality, immigration reform and endangered species.
