Retail Deli Slicer Cleaning Frequency — Six Selected Sites, United States, 2012

Brown, Laura G.; Hoover, E. Rickamer; Ripley, Danny; Matis, Bailey; Nicholas, David; Hedeen, Nicole; Faw, Brenda

doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6512a2

Cited by 23 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…One characteristic in particular, chain ownership, was associated with both positive outcomes. This finding is consistent with other data suggesting that chain establishments may have better food safety practices than independent establishments (2, 3, 8, 9). Compared with independent delis, chain delis may have more resources or more standardized and rigorous processes.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…A higher average number of workers per shift, a higher number of shifts per day, a higher number of slicers, and a higher number of chubs sold weekly were all associated with better slicer inspection practices and with slicers that were free of damage. As with the characteristic of number of customers served daily, these characteristics are likely measures of deli size and are consistent with other findings suggesting that larger establishments tend to have better food safety practices than smaller establishments (3). Delis with written slicer cleaning policies and delis with managers who had been food safety certified and who had a high level of food safety knowledge were also associated with both positive outcomes.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…We also constructed two sets of simple and multiple logistic regression models to examine potential associations between explanatory variables (deli, manager, and worker characteristics) and the outcome variables of (i) slicer inspection frequency (whether food workers said they inspected slicers at the FDA recommendation of during each full cleaning, defined by the FDA Food Code as disassembling, cleaning, and sanitizing the slicer at least every 4 h) and (ii) slicer condition (whether the data collector observed slicer damage, such as chips, cracks, or missing parts, on any slicers in the deli). Delis were coded as properly inspecting their slicers when the interviewed food workers said they inspected their slicers every time they fully cleaned and sanitized them and that they fully cleaned (disassemble, clean, and sanitize) all slicers at the FDA-recommended frequency of every 4 h (3). Delis were coded as having no damaged slicers when the data collectors reported no damage on any slicer in the deli.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Retail Deli Slicer Inspection Practices: An EHS-Net Study

Lipcsei

Brown

Hoover

et al. 2018

Journal of Food Protection

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 3,000 people die in the United States each year from foodborne illness, and Listeria monocytogenes causes the third highest number of deaths. Risk assessment data indicate that L. monocytogenes contamination of particularly delicatessen meats sliced at retail is a significant contributor to human listeriosis. Mechanical deli slicers are a major source of L. monocytogenes cross-contamination and growth. In an attempt to prevent pathogen cross-contamination and growth, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) created guidance to promote good slicer cleaning and inspection practices. The CDC's Environmental Health Specialists Network conducted a study to learn more about retail deli practices concerning these prevention strategies. The present article includes data from this study on the frequency with which retail delis met the FDA recommendation that slicers should be inspected each time they are properly cleaned (defined as disassembling, cleaning, and sanitizing the slicer every 4 h). Data from food worker interviews in 197 randomly selected delis indicate that only 26.9% of workers ( n = 53) cleaned and inspected their slicers at this frequency. Chain delis and delis that serve more than 300 customers on their busiest day were more likely to have properly cleaned and inspected slicers. Data also were collected on the frequency with which delis met the FDA Food Code provision that slicers should be undamaged. Data from observations of 685 slicers in 298 delis indicate that only 37.9% of delis ( n = 113) had slicers that were undamaged. Chain delis and delis that provide worker training were more likely to have slicers with no damage. To improve slicer practices, food safety programs and the retail food industry may wish to focus on worker training and to focus interventions on independent and smaller delis, given that these delis were less likely to properly inspect their slicers and to have undamaged slicers.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Retail Deli Slicer Inspection Practices: An EHS-Net Study

Lipcsei

Brown

Hoover

et al. 2018

Journal of Food Protection

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“…Finally, the mode of the policy might have a role in effectiveness; research suggests that written policies are more effective than unwritten ones ( 11 ). Written food safety policies might indicate prioritization of food safety or institutionalized policies and practices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foodborne Illness Outbreaks at Retail Establishments — National Environmental Assessment Reporting System, 16 State and Local Health Departments, 2014–2016

Lipcsei

Brown

Coleman

et al. 2019

MMWR Surveill. Summ.

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Problem/Condition State and local public health departments report hundreds of foodborne illness outbreaks each year to CDC and are primarily responsible for investigations of these outbreaks. Typically, investigations involve epidemiology, laboratory, and environmental health components. Health departments voluntarily report epidemiologic and laboratory data from their foodborne illness outbreak investigations to CDC through the Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System (FDOSS); however, minimal environmental health data from outbreak investigations are reported to FDOSS. Period Covered 2014–2016. Description of System In 2014, CDC launched the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS) to complement FDOSS surveillance and to use these data to enhance prevention efforts. State and local health departments voluntarily report data from their foodborne illness outbreak investigations of retail food establishments. These data include characteristics of foodborne illness outbreaks (e.g., agent), characteristics of establishments with outbreaks (e.g., number of meals served daily), food safety policies and practices of these establishments (e.g., glove use policies), and characteristics of outbreak investigations (e.g., timeliness of investigation activities). NEARS is the only available data source that includes characteristics of retail establishments with foodborne illness outbreaks. Results During 2014–2016, a total of 16 state and local public health departments reported data to NEARS on 404 foodborne illness outbreaks at retail establishments. The majority of outbreaks with a suspected or confirmed agent were caused by norovirus (61.1%). The majority of outbreaks with identified contributing factors had at least one factor associated with food contamination by a worker who was ill or infectious (58.6%). Almost half (47.4%) of establishments with outbreaks had a written policy excluding ill workers from handling food or working. Approximately one third (27.7%) had a written disposable glove use policy. Paid sick leave was available for at least one worker in 38.3% of establishments. For most establishments with outbreaks (68.7%), environmental health investigators initiated their component of the investigation soon after learning about the outbreak (i.e., the same day) and completed their component in one or two visits to the establishment (75.0%). However, in certain instances, contacting the establishment and completing the environmental health component of the investigation occurred much later (>8 days). Interpretation Most outbreaks reported to NEARS were caused by norovirus, and contamination of food by workers who were ill or infectious contributed to more than half of outbreaks with contributing factors; these findings are consistent with findings from other national outbreak data sets and highlight the role of workers in foodborne illness outbreaks. The ...

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“…It can adhere to many surfaces and form biofilms, and has the ability to survive and grow at low temperatures, a wide range of pH, high salt concentrations and low water activity ( Duffy and Sheridan, 1997 ; Miettinen et al, 1999a , b ; Freitag et al, 2009 ). L. monocytogenes has been isolated from various food products, including raw and cooked meats, milk products, seafood and vegetables ( Ballesteros et al, 2011 ; Jami et al, 2014 ; Moosavy et al, 2014 ; Brown et al, 2016 ; Luo et al, 2017 ). High levels of L. monocytogenes contamination in raw pork in China have been reported ( Zhang et al, 2007 , 2013 ; Yang et al, 2008 ; Huo et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk Factors and Level of Listeria monocytogenes Contamination of Raw Pork in Retail Markets in China

Wang

Lan

et al. 2018

Front. Microbiol.

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Listeria monocytogenes can contaminate various foods via food processing environments and contamination of raw materials. There is a limited understanding of L. monocytogenes transmission in retail market and the role of insects in L. monocytogenes transmission in the retail environments. To better understand the risk factors of raw pork contamination, the prevalence of L. monocytogenes was examined in raw pork, retail environments and insects in a retail market over a 6-month period from March to August in 2016 in Beijing, China. A total of 2,789 samples were collected, including 356 raw pork samples, 1,392 meat contact surface swabs (MCS), 712 non-meat contact surface swabs (NMCS) and 329 insect samples. Overall, 424 (15.20%) of the samples were found to be contaminated by L. monocytogenes. Analyzed by serotyping, multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, the 424 L. monocytogenes isolates were divided into three serotypes (1/2c, 1/2a and 3a), 15 pulsotypes (PTs) and nine sequence types (STs), 1/2c/PT4/ST9 (244/424, 58%) was the most prevalent type of L. monocytogenes strains. The raw pork, MCS of the environments and insects were contaminated with higher levels of L. monocytogenes than NMCS of the environments, which suggested that cross contamination of L. monocytogenes between raw pork and the environment existed in the retail market, and long-term contaminated surfaces and vector insects would act as high risk factors to transmit L. monocytogenes to raw pork. Thus more effective strategies are needed to reduce the risk of retail pork meat contamination by L. monocytogenes and prevent foodborne human listeriosis.

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Retail Deli Slicer Cleaning Frequency — Six Selected Sites, United States, 2012

Cited by 23 publications

References 5 publications

Retail Deli Slicer Inspection Practices: An EHS-Net Study

Retail Deli Slicer Inspection Practices: An EHS-Net Study

Foodborne Illness Outbreaks at Retail Establishments — National Environmental Assessment Reporting System, 16 State and Local Health Departments, 2014–2016

Risk Factors and Level of Listeria monocytogenes Contamination of Raw Pork in Retail Markets in China

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