Dr. Ben Chapman from North Carolina State University spoke to the Foods and Nutrition Department about his food safety research and observations. Foodborne illness seems to be in the news more than in the past. Besides the improved access to media platforms making these headlines more prevalent, detection and reporting methods are also improving, which makes it appear that there are more foodborne illness outbreaks than before. Dr. Chapman provided his point of view on the status of food safety today and what the next steps should be to ensure better safety in our food supply.
At a national level, better safeguards in the food industry are needed. Much of this has to do with research. For example, consider the increase in listeria outbreaks in frozen vegetables. One reason for the outbreaks is using frozen leafy vegetables, like kale, in smoothies. Product development teams did not anticipate the green smoothie trend; they assumed that frozen vegetables would be properly heated before being eaten. It’s important to consider trends and potential food safety implications. More research is also needed to strengthen the FDA Food Code, a national document that provides food safety regulations. Methods of cleaning and sanitizing should be more prescriptive and specific to make sure that foodborne pathogens are controlled.
Dr. Chapman also pointed out incorporating food safety practices into recipe information that is available to consumers. Cookbooks rarely provide food safety instructions, and how often do you see someone on Food Network or the Cooking Channel use a meat thermometer? The trendy recipe videos you see on Facebook also fail to show good habits to prevent cross-contamination. If all of these outlets provided food safety messages, it could influence the attitudes towards those behaviors and change the perception of the norm.
Another important point was that individuals need both knowledge and supplies to handle food safely. This principle is important both at home and in restaurants. In restaurants, at least one person needs to have a food safety certification and often multiple individuals do. However, if they know proper handwashing practices but do not have easy access to hot water, soap, and paper towels, will they exhibit safe behaviors? It is up to restaurant managers to make the safe choice, the easy choice. For home cooks, the same principle applies. Clean dishes, sanitized surfaces, and temperature control are all still important, so individuals should equip their homes with the proper equipment. Setting up your kitchen with everything you need to keep everything safe will make it easier to do!
As Dr. Chapman discussed, many players are involved in food safety on a local and national level. Certainly, government and academic researchers, the food industry, and professional chefs and cooks play a large role in influencing and implementing good behaviors. On an individual level, anyone who prepares and cooks food has the responsibility to use good practices. It is up to every individual to be a good example of food safety to those around them.