Lastly, we asked, “What would you do if a customer called and said they became sick after eating at your restaurant?” Survey respondents could select multiple answers. The top responses were to notify manage- ment (79%) and to take down the name and number of the caller (77%). In contrast, seven respondents said management would do nothing. Discussion Most of the respondents to our survey were managers who have worked in the food ser- vice industry for a number of years. Therefore, it makes sense that many respondents were current CFPMs and reported receiving food safety information through a CFPM course or other types of classes and trainings. Becom- ing a CFPM means the individual has passed an exam, often after formal training on food safety and foodborne outbreak prevention. Numerous research studies conducted by the CDC Environmental Health Specialist Network (EHS-Net) have shown that restau- rants with a CFPM have better food safety practices and are less likely to be linked with outbreaks (Brown et al., 2014; Clayton et al., 2015; Hedberg et al., 2006; Kramer et al., 2023). For workers who had never been a CFPM, they reported receiving food safety information primarily through supervisors and coworkers. Consequently, CFPMs should continue to use their food safety knowledge to train other sta throughout the facility. Food workers preferred to receive food safety information through email (e.g., news- letters, updates) or online trainings. Our findings are supported by research that shows an upward trend in the number of people who seek online learning and training oppor- tunities (Wood, 2022). The COVID-19 pan- demic likely furthered this shift, with work- ers in varied fields adopting remote work and online learning. In contrast, the use of web content, mail, or social media to distribute food safety informa- tion was less popular. For CFPMs specifically, receiving food safety information through a supervisor or colleague was a less popular choice. Non-CFPMs, however, preferred to receive food safety information through their supervisor in addition to online trainings. Food code requirements, food recalls and con- sumer warnings, and general food safety were all desired topics for future trainings.
TABLE 2
Survey Feedback on How Minnesota Food Workers Want to Receive Food Safety Information ( N = 1,535)
Question
#
%
Where do you get your food safety information from? Certified food protection manager course
1,105
72 60 60 40 29 28 26 14
Classes and trainings
919 914 621 451 428 404 217 124 113
Health inspector
Health department website
Websites
Electronic newsletters
Supervisor Coworkers Social media Magazines
8 7 2 3 2
Blogs
31 48 36
I don’t receive food safety information
Other
What is your preferred method to receive food safety information? Email (e.g., newsletters, updates)
965 764 613 508 279 240 148
63 50 40 33 18 16 10
Online trainings or presentations In-person trainings or presentations Conversations with health inspectors
My supervisor or colleagues
Web content (e.g., blogs, websites)
Mail flyers
Social media
58 14
4 1
Other
What food safety topics do you wish you had more information on? Food code requirements
716 633 633 605 501 376
47 41 41 39 33 24
Food recalls or consumer warnings
General food safety
Food safety for new food trends Equipment requirements Foodborne illness prevention
Other 5 What would make you more effective in ensuring safe food handling practices are followed in your restaurant? Food safety fact sheets 766 50 More communication from the health department about food code updates 690 45 Paid sick leave so I don’t work while ill 478 31 Food safety videos 383 25 Additional training provided by the health department 330 21 Additional training provided by management 304 20 82
Note. Respondents could select multiple answers for each of these questions.
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June 2024 • Journal of Environmental Health
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