FDA Food Safety Surveys Sara Fein, Ph.D. Consumer Science Specialist Office of Scientific Analysis and Support Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Type of Information Usual food handling behaviorsUsual food handling behaviors –Cross contamination –Washing fruits and vegetables –Cooking practices –Thermometer use –Cooling practices –Storage times for selected foods

Type of Information Eating risky foods in the past yearEating risky foods in the past year –Undercooked or raw hamburger –Raw hot dogs –Raw sprouts –Raw and undercooked eggs –Other raw foods from animals

Other Types of Information Immune compromised statusImmune compromised status Demographic characteristics:Demographic characteristics: –Age, gender, race,, education, income, household size, geographic region Knowledge of food safety issuesKnowledge of food safety issues Perceived risk from foodborne illnessPerceived risk from foodborne illness Experience of foodborne illnessExperience of foodborne illness

Method Nationally (US) representative telephone surveysNationally (US) representative telephone surveys 4 waves of data collected:4 waves of data collected: –1988, 1993, 1998, 2001 Sample sizes varied: 1, ,482 per collectionSample sizes varied: 1, ,482 per collection Adults onlyAdults only

Data Weights Each wave adjusted for design weightEach wave adjusted for design weight –Number of adults in household –Number of telephone lines Each wave adjusted for population distributionEach wave adjusted for population distribution –Current Population Survey: gender, race, education –Corrects for non-response bias

Exposure Assessment Risk of contaminated food depends on handling practicesRisk of contaminated food depends on handling practices –How likely consumers are to cook product; how well –How likely consumers are to cross - contaminate –How likely consumers are to wash produce; how effectively –How long consumer stores product before eating (microbial growth)

Relevance to Children Sample is adults onlySample is adults only Number of children < 5 y and number y is askedNumber of children < 5 y and number y is asked Some responses also apply to children living in the householdSome responses also apply to children living in the household –Food handling practices - affect children –Risky food consumption - adult respondent only; no information about children

Risk Characterization Can estimate food handling safety of those who prepare food for high risk groupsCan estimate food handling safety of those who prepare food for high risk groups –older adults –young children –compromised immune status

Strengths Unique source for national estimates of food handling practicesUnique source for national estimates of food handling practices Data are collected every 3-5 yearsData are collected every 3-5 years Data are weighted to adjust for design weight and non-responseData are weighted to adjust for design weight and non-response Validity analyses conducted for practicesValidity analyses conducted for practices Some comparable data available for Costa RicaSome comparable data available for Costa Rica

How to Access the Data SAS fileSAS file Not public use data setNot public use data set Contact Amy LandoContact Amy Lando –Contact information on the handout

Can You Collect This Type of Data? Survey has been modified for data collection in Costa RicaSurvey has been modified for data collection in Costa Rica Much easier than dietary intake data collectionsMuch easier than dietary intake data collections FDA will give survey questions, detailed methods, other support. Contact Amy Lando.FDA will give survey questions, detailed methods, other support. Contact Amy Lando.