No abstract

At present, SARS-CoV-2 has not been shown to be transmitted through food, even so the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how consumers view food and food safety. This study assessed consumer food safety practices during the COVID-19 pandemic using (1) surveys and (2) online focus group discussions. From April to August 2020, five waves of surveys were distributed to an online U.S. consumer panel and screened to include only primary food preparers and grocery shoppers. The online focus groups were conducted via WebEx from May to July 2020. Focus group participants were recruited from the first wave of survey respondents. Both survey respondents and focus group participants reported higher levels of handwashing in response to the pandemic. However, survey participants’ anticipated levels of handwashing after the pandemic decreased; some focus group participants noted that human nature “kicking in” could lead to lower levels of hand hygiene practice. For each of the five months, the survey reported increased produce washing, both with water only and with water plus soap. Most focus group participants mentioned using water to wash their produce, but some reported using soap and even vinegar to “kill” the virus. Since consumers were worried that SARS-Cov-2 could survive on food, they started to mishandle food to address these concerns. However, this study also reported an increase in food thermometer use during the pandemic. Social determinants like gender, income, education, and age may have also influenced changes in levels of practice throughout the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic drove consumers to practice proper and improper food safety practices, which may or may not continue after the pandemic. This study’s findings provide timely information to guide future food safety education and communication during health crises and pandemics.

Pet food has been identified as a source of pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella and Escherichia coli. A recent outbreak linked to Salmonella -contaminated pet treats infected over 150 people in the United States. The mechanism by which contaminated pet food leads to human illness has not been explicated. Pet owners’ food safety knowledge and their pet food handling practices have not been reported. This study evaluated pet owners’ food safety knowledge and pet-food handling practices through an online consumer survey. The survey consists of 62 questions and assesses (1) owners’ food safety knowledge and pet-food handling practices; (2) owners’ interaction with pets; (3) owners’ risk perception related to their own health, their children’s health, and their pets’ health. The survey was pilot-tested among 59 pet owners before distribution to a national consumer panel, managed by Qualtrics XM. All participants (n=1,040) were dog and/or cat owners in the United States. Almost all pet owners interacted with their pets (93%) and most cuddled, allowed their pets to lick them, and slept with their pets. Less than one-third of pet owners washed their hands with soap after interacting with their pets. Over half (58%) the owners reported washing their hands after feeding their pets. Most pet owners fed their pets dry pet food and dry pet treats. Some fed their pets raw meat or raw animal product (RAP) diets because they believed these diets to be beneficial to their pet’s overall health. Many owners (78%) were unaware of pet food recalls or outbreaks associated with foodborne pathogens. Less than 25% considered dry pet foods and treats as a potential source of foodborne pathogens. The findings of this study indicated the need for consumer education about pet food handling. The data collected can assist in developing more accurate risk assessment models and consumer education related to pet food handling.

Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is not a proven foodborne pathogen, the COVID-19 pandemic has put the food system on alert, and food safety has been identified as an important pillar in mitigating the crisis. Therefore, an understanding of how popular media are used as a vital disseminator of food safety and health information for the public is more important than ever. YouTube deserves particular attention as one of the most highly trafficked Web sites on the Internet, especially because YouTube has been blamed during the pandemic for spreading misleading or untrustworthy information that contradicts validated information. This study was conducted to evaluate the food safety information and practices circulating on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic and the alignment of these practices with recommendations from government agencies. A search for videos on YouTube was conducted using the key words “food and COVID-19,” “food safety and COVID-19,” and “groceries and COVID-19.” After applying a series of inclusive and exclusive criteria, 85 videos from the United States and Canada were evaluated. More than half (69%) of the videos presented hand washing procedures, 26% showed kitchen disinfection, and most (86%) showed take-out food or grocery store practices. Multiple produce washing procedures were also shown throughout videos. Food was not considered hazardous in 39% of the videos, but 24% mentioned that food packaging is potentially hazardous. Most videos cited government agencies and had a host or guest who was a health care professional, professor, or expert. Three videos were not aligned with a government agency's guideline or information cited; two were presented by a health care professional. These findings reveal the need to develop educational interventions that increase YouTube video host and guest awareness of social media use as a tool for food safety dissemination and the need to provide trustworthy information. HIGHLIGHTS

Listeria monocytogenes is a hardy psychrotrophic pathogen that has been linked to several cheese-related outbreaks in the United States, including a recent outbreak in which a fresh cheese (queso fresco) was implicated. The purpose of this study was to develop primary, secondary, and tertiary predictive models for the growth of L. monocytogenes in queso fresco and to validate these models using nonisothermal time and temperature profiles. A mixture of five strains of L. monocytogenes was used to inoculate pasteurized whole milk to prepare queso fresco. Ten grams of each fresh cheese sample was vacuum packaged and stored at 4, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30°C. From samples at each storage temperature, subsamples were removed at various times and diluted in 0.1% peptone water, and bacteria were enumerated on Listeria selective agar. Growth data from each temperature were fitted using the Baranyi model as the primary model and the Ratkowsky model as the secondary model. Models were then validated using nonisothermal conditions. The Baranyi model was fitted to the isothermal growth data with acceptable goodness of fit statistics (R2 = 0.928; root mean square error = 0.317). The Ratkowsky square root model was fitted to the specific growth rates at different temperatures (R2 = 0.975). The tertiary model developed from these models was validated using the growth data with two nonisothermal time and temperature profiles (4 to 20°C for 19 days and 15 to 30°C for 11 days). Data for these two profiles were compared with the model prediction using an acceptable prediction zone analysis; >70% of the growth observations were within the acceptable prediction zone (between −1.0 and 0.5 log CFU/g). The model developed in this study will be useful for estimating the growth of L. monocytogenes in queso fresco. These predictions will help in estimation of the risk of listeriosis from queso fresco under extended storage and temperature abuse conditions. HIGHLIGHTS