Source: UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS submitted to
RETAIL DELI SAFETY
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0226831
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
ARK02317
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2011
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2016
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Crandall, PH, G.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS
(N/A)
FAYETTEVILLE,AR 72703
Performing Department
Food Science
Non Technical Summary
Every year foodborne illnesses devastate the lives of millions of Americans and take a significant economic toll, considering the costs of medical treatment and lost wages. Food-borne illnesses cost the United States an average of $1,850 each time someone gets sick from food, a total of $152 billion a year. It has been found that most foodborne illnesses result from food handler error which may be minimized with proper transfer of training. Proper motivation and training of employees and managers is vital to keep consumers safe. Language barriers may also exist as English may be a second language for many employees, which raises the issue of worker comprehension. Do employees really understand the concepts and procedures being taught, particularly the importance of food safety Third-party audits such as good manufacturing practices (GMP) and the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) demand verification that workers fully comprehend what they are being trained to do. The retail setting has no formal training and testing standards, relying heavily on on-the-job training and verbal corrections by supervisors with no formal process for documentation of comprehension (e.g., Go stand next to Joe and do what he does.) Just one incident of food safety noncompliance places the public (and perhaps the employees) at grave risk, while the restaurant or deli faces law suits and bad media coverage certain to follow. This proposal seeks to define appropriate training and evaluation techniques for retail workers. In the past the level of foodborne illness was used as the retail food program performance indicator; however, the occurrence of foodborne illness is grossly underreported. This makes the incidence of foodborne illness not a good measurement for performance indicators. Instead, the occurrence of foodborne illness risk factors has been selected as the performance indicator. Risk factors have been suggested by FDA after a baseline study, but gaps still exist in the risk assessment and more data is needed. The proposed observational studies as well as the deli slicer ecology study will go far to fill the gaps in the current retail risk assessment.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
7123260110020%
7123320110010%
7126010302020%
7126099302010%
7125010110020%
7124010110020%
Knowledge Area
712 - Protect Food from Contamination by Pathogenic Microorganisms, Parasites, and Naturally Occurring Toxins;

Subject Of Investigation
3320 - Meat, beef cattle; 3260 - Poultry meat; 4010 - Bacteria; 6010 - Individuals; 6099 - People and communities, general/other; 5010 - Food;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education; 1100 - Bacteriology;
Goals / Objectives
1. In cooperation with retail deli managers, conduct a survey of retail deli operators to determine those hazards that pose the greatest risk to a) consumers, b) deli employees and c) retail deli business operations. This will be done in the context of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) which provides a systems approach to hazard analysis and control. The role of the employee in retail safety is under-researched. 2. Work with Global Food Safety Initiative providers to develop measurable objectives conveying the best operating practices in retail deli safety to the three target groups in objective 1. This will be in context with established GFSI version 6 and extend well beyond just food safety. 3. Develop online training modules on minimizing all types of hazards impacting the three target groups especially for young Hispanic deli employees; applying the findings resulting from evaluations in Objective 1 that focuses on best practices to reduce or remove hazards. Assess the impact of deli specific training by estimating their long-term changes in behavior of employees. 4. Assess vectors, including workers, for potential to cross contaminate RTE foods in the retail deli environment. Verify effectiveness of new sanitation practices; summarize findings by modeling supplemental risk assessment data adding "worker effect" to the variability of the transfer model. Determine the ecology of background flora within the deli environment with relationship to contamination by Listeria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. This data will help fill the gaps in the safety of the retail portion of the complete farm-to-fork food chain.
Project Methods
Objective 1: The literature will be surveyed for hazards related to food safety at retail to assess relative importance of hazards, gaps in data, and effectiveness of previous solutions. An on-line survey will be developed to seek input on the chosen hazards. Retail suppliers for the beta test group will be chosen to get a diverse group of suppliers, producing food products from various food categories and representing companies of different sizes. The nationwide survey will use the online survey software, Qualtrics. Objective 2: After completing the critical analysis of the existing research on retail safety, we will organize three expert Delphi panels to input on the relative importance of each hazard and the survey of retailers about their safety concerns. Next we will write a series of measurable learning objectives targeting gaps we uncover in the literature, un-met needs from retailers about addressing significant hazards and then begin to collect the training material and references for Objective 3. Objective 3: Training modules will be developed to address each of the critical hazards. Each of the new training modules will be broken down into clear, concise plans for pre and post-testing. Each participant will be given a written pretest knowledge survey covering basic knowledge of retail deli food safety, given brief instructions for launching the web-based learning and provided with a task list. Participants will be observed by a test monitor and/or videotaped during their entire session. The University of Arkansas in cooperation with the Global Campus has newly designed prep kitchens with audiotape and/or video monitoring equipment that will be used to capture the think-out-loud information. After completion of the training modules, participants will be given a written post-test knowledge survey and a profile questionnaire to obtain demographic information. Objective 4: Current literature will be analyzed for best practices for direct observation in a retail setting. Observation will be used to determine vectors for cross contamination by direct observation of deli operations. Identified vectors will then be studied in a mock deli setting using surrogates (fluorescent compounds or non-pathogenic surrogates) to determine transfer coefficients. Concurrently with this study, the ecology of slicers in use in food preparation settings will be determined by collecting samples from slicers that are being actively used in retail stores nationwide. Samples will be shipped to the University of Arkansas where the sponges will be analyzed for total aerobic count, and presence of Listeria species, Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157. Background microflora will be identified using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) to determine the general microbial ecology of the slicer on each area.

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Manufacturers of ready to eat foods, retail and food service managers, trainers in the food processing industry and research scientists. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We are working with several poultry processors to develop plant specific training modules on the topics of worker safety and food safety. We continue to research the factors influencing motivation to wash hands among retail food workers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have presented our results directly to food processors and retail food managers. Results have also been disseminated at national meetings of the Institute of Food Technologists and International Association of Food Professionals as well as it's local affiliate the Arkansas Association of Food Professionnals. Numerous peer reviewed articles have been published in high impact factor journals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? To keep consumers safe personnel must be properly trained and motivated (Bricher, 2007). Every year millions in the US get foodborne illnesses. Listeria monocytogenes (LM) causes listeriosis, which affects the most vulnerable, the elderly, very young and pregnant women. Pregnant women are about 30% of the cases, and may have still births, miscarriages, or premature births. Survivors may be left with neurological impairment requiring lifelong, constant care (Roberts and Pinner, 1990). To further reduce listeriosis we must change the behavior of retail deli employees. PIs developed this project to address these needs for data for risk assessments as well as motivation and training for employees. Objective 1: Conduct a survey of retail deli operators to determine those hazards that pose the greatest risk to a) consumers, b) deli employees and c) retail deli business operations. A US retailer studied employee compliance with written cleaning and sanitizing protocols. 8 stores were observed in the cafe, deli, bakery and produce departments. Most employees had a professional approach and desired to properly perform their cleaning and sanitizing duties. Gaps included insufficient time to clean because customer service took priority. Solutions to time management were to conduct cleaning by stages and organize them around daily duties. Employees did not have a clear understanding of proper use of sanitizers, and sanitizers were used as cleaners in some situations. Personal protective equipment was often not worn or the wrong equipment was used. Training of employees needs to include demonstrations and invite the employees' active participation in order to ensure food safety as well as safety of the workers Analysis of the bacteria on deli slicers using advanced techniques showed areas underneath the slicer and on the back plate had high numbers of Pseudomonas; a common spoilage organism. This advanced technique will allow us to evaluate how effective different cleaning and sanitation processes are. LM persists in the deli environment because of its ability to survive in cold, wet environments. Risk assessments have repeatedly identified ready-to-eat (RTE) meats sliced at the retail deli as the highest risk for contracting LM. Some strains of LM are more resistant to heat inactivation and sanitizers. Our tests showed that placing a deli slicer in dry oven conditions at 82°C for 15 hours did not decrease LM but 85°C at a relative humidity > 90% for 3 hours achieved a 5 log reduction (5 log = 500,000 bacteria) of LM. We evaluated the attachment of three "good" lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains and their cocktail, to stainless steel from a deli slicer and their ability to inhibit the attachment of LM. The LAB cocktail significantly reduced the attachment and killed LM already attached to the stainless steel. The LAB cocktail may play a role as a green biosanitizer in the food industry cutting the need for harsh chemicals for cleaning and disinfection. A combination of moist heat and silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) sanitizer produced significant LM reductions. SDC plus moist heat treatments reduced inoculated bacteria to non-detectable levels on deli meat slicers. Objective 2. Work with Global Food Safety Initiative providers to develop measurable objectives conveying the best operating practices in retail deli safety. We identified 239 learning objectives from the FDA Food Code and 4 commercial online food safety training platforms, 75 of them deli specific. Food Safety Experts used a 5-point Likert scale to prioritize 58 objectives with a 70% consensus rate. These results will guide developing training materials for delis or to identify key concepts in existing training platforms. We surveyed suppliers of a large RTE retailer who were required to add a verified Listeria inhibitor to bulk meats. Prior to the requirement nearly half did not use an inhibitor in their bulk meats. More than 80% reported that they did not add inhibiters to bulk meats for retailers who did not require them. In the future, retailers should be encouraged to require their suppliers to include LM inhibitors in their bulk luncheon meats. Objective 3. Develop training modules on minimizing all types of hazards impacting the three target groups especially for young Hispanic deli employees. Poor hand hygiene is a leading cause for the spread of foodborne illnesses. One approach for supervisors is to use the "Closed-Loop" training model combined with observations and coaching to improve performance. Before using this model in cheese plants the average compliance with handwashing was 68%. After training but before corrective observation, the average level of handwashing was 82%, and after 4 corrective observations handwashing compliance was 100%. A soup plant found the baseline level was 64%, after training it was 80%. After corrective observation, compliance was between 80 and 98%. Caucasian and Hispanic volunteers were observed handling 4 common foods; apple, bread, chicken and fish. We designed this study to determine if disgust was a motivator for hand washing after handling common foods and to see if these responses are culturally dependent. We determined hand washing was affected by the type of food being handled and the intensity of the emotion of disgust. The volunteers tended to wash their hands more frequently after handling foods they perceived as more hazardous. Hand washing varied for gender, culture and the type of food handled. We noted that as the person felt more disgust for the food handled they washed their hands more. We conducted a study in an early childhood center (ECC) using video observations to determine the quality and frequency of handwashing practices. We observed 349 hand washing triggering events of caregivers, paraprofessional aides or parents. Lowest compliance was among parents (4%), followed by paraprofessionals (11%) with caregivers at 30%. Of the 5 proper steps in handwashing, using a disposable towel to dry hands had the highest compliance (97%) but turning off the faucet after drying hands using the paper towel the lowest (17%). We are currently developing methods to determine why there is such low compliance, which will be used to create means of increasing compliance throughout the child care industry. Objective 4. Assess vectors, including workers, for potential to cross contaminate RTE foods in the retail deli environment. We compared the efficiency of cleaning cloths for removing bacteria or viruses from stainless steel or Formica food contact surfaces. All cloths performed the same on Formica and stainless steel. Blended cellulose/cotton cloths showed the highest LM removal efficiency. Microfiber cloth removed very little of the virus, while the other 4 cloths removed thousands of viruses from both surfaces. These findings indicate that cleaning cloths of certain materials may be valuable tools in the food prep environment when time does not permit the use of a sanitizing agent. However, these should not replace sanitizers which have been shown to be very effective for inactivating viruses and bacteria. Bricher JL. 2007. Protecting your customers while safeguarding your business. Food Safety. 13(1):40. FoodNet. 2016. FoodNet 2014 annual foodborne illness surveillance report. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/foodnet/reports/annual-reports-2014.html Scharff RL. 2012. Economic burden from health losses due to foodborne illness in the United States. Journal of Food Protection. 75: 123-131.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Adam BD, Holcomb R, Buser M, Mayfield B, Thomas J, OBryan CA, Crandall P, Knipe D, Knipe R, Ricke SC. 2016. Enhancing food safety, product quality, and value-added in food supply chains using whole-chain traceability. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review. 19: Issue A. http://purl.umn.edu/240706
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2016 Citation: Clark J, Crandall1 PG, Henk JK, Crandall MA, OBryan CA. 2016. An Observational Study of Hand Washing Compliance in a Child Care Facility Accepted by J Infection Control
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Benoit AN, Marks BP, Ryser ET, Jeong S, Crandall PG. 2016. Image analysis of a fluorescent physical surrogate for quantifying Listeria monocytogenes transfer between delicatessen meats and product contact surfaces. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 31: 939-948
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Howton J, Keifer E, Murphy CA, Sirsat SA, OBryan CA, Ricke SC, Crandall PG. 2016. A comparison of food safety programs using the Customizable Tool for Online Training Evaluation Food Control 59: 82-87. IF 2.819
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Pellegrino R, Crandall PG*, Seo HS. 2016. Using olfaction and unpleasant reminders to reduce the intention-behavior gap in hand washing. Scientific Reports 6: 18890 DOI: 10.1038/srep18890


Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Manufacturers of ready to eat foods, retail and food service managers, trainers in the food processing industry, research scientists Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?We continue to work with personnel managers, plant managers and line supervisors in meat and poultry processing plants to develop and disseminate training for food safety. We also continue to work with retail managers to develop methods to motivate food handlers to increase hand hygiene practices. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have presented our results directly to retail food service owners and managers and personnel directors and supervisors in the poultry industry. Results have also been presented at local and national meetings of the Institute of Food Technologists and the International Association for Food Protection. Several peer reviewed manuscripts have been published and some are ready for submission. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We continue to work with US Poultry and Egg to develop training modules for poultry and egg workers. We are also working with faculty in Human and Environmental Sciences to encourage hand hygiene in child care facilities.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The rate of foodborne illness caused by Listeria monocytogenes continues to exceed the Healthy People 2020 goal of 0.2 cases per 100,000 persons. This pathogen can survive under conditions of nutrient and energy deprivation, allowing them to contaminate ready to eat foods in the processing environment. We investigated the effects of several metabolic inhibitors on growth of L. monocytogenes wild-type and a mutant and determined that in the absence of inhibitors, both strains reached stationary phase after 18 h at 23C and 10 h at 37C. All of the metabolic inhibitors slowed growth of both strains, with few differences observed among the different inhibitors. Ready-to-eat luncheon meats sliced in retail delis have been found to pose the greatest risk of foodborne illness from L. monocytogenes among all ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. Slicers used in delis are difficult to clean adequately and may provide a niche for L. monocytogenes survival. Standard cleaning and sanitizing practices used by deli employees may not eliminate Listeria in these niches. Moist heat is known to be more effective against L. monocytogenes than dry heat at the same temperature and time. We designed a study investigating the effects of moist heat combined with quaternary ammonium compounds, chlorine or peracetic acid on inactivating L. monocytogenes attached to stainless steel or aluminum coupons cut from commercial deli meat slicer components. All sanitizers when used alone resulted in a 2- to 3-log reduction of L. monocytogenes on stainless steel or aluminum surfaces, while moist heat alone resulted in a 3- to 4-log reduction. When combined with heat the quaternary ammonium was used at 5 ppm, peracetic acid at 10 ppm and chlorine at 10 ppm. When the 2 lethal treatments were combined there was a 5- to7-log reduction as compared to initial inoculation. Listeria specific antimicrobials incorporated in luncheon meats to be sliced in retail delis would lower the risk to consumers by as much as 96%, especially for high-risk consumers. Two large retailers of RTE meats sliced in their delis required all their suppliers of bulk RTE meats which could support the growth of Listeria to include a verified inhibitor that will not allow an increase in L. monocytogenes of more than 1 log during the intended shelf-life and storage of the product. We surveyed these suppliers and determined that six of 15 suppliers had not added inhibitors to their bulk luncheon meat prior to the requirement. One supplier reported using inhibitors in 60% of their products prior to the mandate and now uses Listeria specific inhibitors in 100% of the bulk deli meats it produces, regardless of customer. Three of the five manufacturers who needed to reformulate their products reported additional benefits: the Listeria specific antimicrobials extended their products' shelf life, improved food safety and provided better protection for their customers. The growth in the popularity of convenience and RTE foods has driven the need for more effective employee training programs in retail establishments to ensure food safety and worker safety while ensuring freshness and quality. A large retailer with many stores sought to understand compliance with corporate written cleaning and sanitizing protocols using ethnographic methods. A total of 8 stores, 3 each in Minnesota and Texas and 2 in Florida were selected as a representative sample. Two, 2-member teams made morning and evening observations in the café, deli, bakery and produce departments. Compilation and analysis of observations revealed that the majority of the employees had a professional approach and desired to properly perform the cleaning and sanitizing duties. Challenges voiced in interviews included insufficient time to clean because customer service tasks took priority. Solutions to time management identified by the employees were to conduct cleaning by stages and organize cleaning tasks around daily duties. However there was frequent misunderstanding of proper use of sanitizers and sanitizers were used as cleaners in some applications. Personal protective equipment was often not used at all or the wrong equipment was used. Training of employees needs to include demonstrations and invite the employees' active participation in order to ensure the safety of the food prepared in these stores, as well as the well-being of the workers. Increasing compliance with proper hand washing among consumers and foodservice workers during food handling and preparation is an effective strategy to minimize the spread of bacteria and disease. At home and in the food industry contributing factors and barriers exist that lead to low rates of compliance with proper hand hygiene. Recently, researchers have begun to emphasize the importance of internal motivational factors such as the emotion of disgust and how it affects hygiene behaviors. We designed a study to determine the influence of disgust and other motives on hand washing among participants when handling common foods in the foodservice industry, and if these responses are culturally dependent. A preliminary survey that showed differing levels of consumers' disgust among 21 foods commonly handled in the food industry was conducted. In the main part of the study, representatives from two cultures, Caucasian and Hispanic, were observed while they handled four common foods; apple, bread, chicken and fish. Results from this study showed that hand washing behavior was affected by the type of food being handled and the intensity of the emotion of disgust. Individuals tended to wash their hands more frequently for foods they perceived as more hazardous, and their motives to wash varied among variables of gender (self-protection for men, carryover effects for women), culture (self-protection for Caucasians, texture for Hispanics) and the type of food (self-protection for chicken, smell for fish). Additionally, as the feeling of disgust increased among individuals their probability to wash their hands also increased. Factors that did not show an influence on hand washing included the culture and gender of the participant, and whether they had past foodservice experience. These findings, in combination other studies, should be considered when designing motivation and training strategies to increase consumer or foodservice employee hand washing behaviors.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Millilo SR, Lungu B, OBryan CA, Dowd SE, Muthaiyan A, Johnson MG, Ricke SC. 2015. Listeria monocytogenes batch culture growth response to metabolic inhibitors. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B 50: 15.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Crandall PG, OBryan CA, Peterson R, Dyenson N, Yiannas F. 2015. A survey estimating the benefits of incorporating Listeria specific growth inhibitors in bulk luncheon meats to be sliced in retail delis. Food Control 53: 185-188.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Pellegrino R, Crandall PG*, Seo HS. 2015. Hand washing and disgust response to handling different food stimuli between two different cultures. Food Res Int 76: 301-308.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Mertz AW, OBryan CA, Crandall PG, Ricke SC, Morawicki R, The elimination of Listeria monocytogenes attached to stainless steel or aluminum using multiple hurdles J Food Sci 80: 1557-1562.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Crandall PG, OBryan CA, Grinstead DA, Das K, Rose C, Shabatura JJ. 2016. Role of ethnographic research for assessing behavior of employees during cleaning and sanitation in food preparation areas. Food Control 59: 849-853.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Shinbaum S, Crandall PG, OBryan CA. 2016. Evaluating your obligations for employee training according to the Food Safety Modernization Act. Food Control 60: 12-17
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Neal J, Crandall PG, Dawson M, Madera J. 2015. Food safety and language barriers on the food processing line. Food Safety Magazine Feb-Mar 2015: 22, 24-27.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Crandall PG, OBryan CA, Neal J, Delery JE. 2015. Best practices for making long term changes in behavior. Food Safety Magazine June-July 2015: 34-47.


Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Retail deli managers, University researchers, University students, industry Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? We have worked with retail deli managers and owners to develop deli specific training materials, especially for deli meat slicers How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We have presented out results directly to retail food service owners and managers. Results have also been presented at local and national meetings of the Institute of Food Technologists, the International Association for Food Protection and the Association of Microbiologists. Several peer reviewed manuscripts have been published and some are ready for submission. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We are developing new training modules for use in both industry and retail settings in conjunction with US Egg and Poultry. We will continue to research means to mitigate the carriage and dispersal of Listeria within the retail environment.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? We evaluated the ability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to reduce attachment of Listeria monocytogenes. A cocktail of three LAB were evaluated and overall, the 3 strains showed inhibition of growth of Lm at both 4 and 7 degrees C. We studied the influence of Listeria innocua (Li) on the growth and attachment of Lm to stainless steel or aluminum surfaces at 23°C. When grown in broth as a mixed culture, Li reached a higher cell count at 24 h than did Lm. Attachment was evaluated by placing an aliquot of Li and Lm on the coupons and by quantifying attached cells after 24 and 72 h. When compared to Lm alone, there was a significant reduction of attachment of Lm at 24 and 72 h on stainless steel and 72 h on aluminum surface when Li was added at the same time. Li exhibited an effect on the attachment of Lm, increasing our knowledge of the behavior of Lm in the presence of another Listeria species. Tests in our laboratory have determined that placing a retail deli meat slicer in dry oven conditions at 82°C for 15 hours did not sufficiently decrease Lm inoculated onto deli slicer components. However, further studies determined that moist heat, relative humidity > 90%, at 85°C for 3 hours achieved a 4.5 to 5 log reduction of Lm. We were able to achieve these conditions in a bread proofer, which is commonly found in delis. The deli slicer can harbor Lm on food contact surfaces of the slicer blade, food chute or base and potentially in the motor compartment. We achieved a 5-log reduction of inoculated Lm when the RH in the interior of the proofer was maintained at 95% for 45 min, and subsequently at below 10% RH within 2 h, to dry out the electrical components and minimize any potential damage to the slicer. The motor and motor components were not damaged when subjected to repeated moist and dry heat cycles. We investigated the lethality of moist heat and SDC sanitizer on Listeria species that were inoculated on SS and AL coupons cut from actual components of a deli meat slicer. The coupons inoculated with Listeria species were subjected to treatments inside and outside of meat slicer using a commercial bread proofer that was operated for 7 h at 66°C. Moist heat reduced the inoculated bacteria to non-detectable levels when the coupons were placed inside the motor compartment of the slicer and the sanitizer plus moist heat gave same results for the coupons placed inside and outside of the slicer. We analyzed the microbial diversity and total microbiological ecology of different niches on 8 deli meat slicers. Areas underneath the slicer and on the back plate had the highest total bacterial populations. Pseudomonas were the most common bacteria to be found on slicers. Participants with limited food service experience received one of 4 types of food safety training delivery methods for cleaning and operating a meat slicer. The delivery methods included; no instruction, written instruction, demonstrations and written instruction with demonstrations. Participants were then instructed to slice four slices of bologna and then clean the slicer based on the training they received. Temporal performance as measured by time was recorded per participant and adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence (ATP-B) was measured to determine the hygienic condition of the slicer post cleaning. Next, participants were given a survey asking them to list the steps for cleaning a deli slicer in proper order and their perceived cleanliness of the slicer based on the training delivery method. When written instruction and demonstrations was used as a delivery method, temporal performance increased, ATP-B readings were lower and participants perceived it as an effective training method. A closed loop process of training combined with observations and continual feedback to improve employee behavior for hand washing was evaluated. The baseline was 68%, after training but before corrective observation, the average level of correct performance of proper hand washing was 82%, and after training and 4 corrective observations all hand washing behaviors were measured at the 100% compliance level. More and more workers in food processing plants do not use English as their primary language, making training and corrective actions more complex. We developed a case study on a training and corrective action study performed in a food processing plant where the predominant language was Spanish and where most training was performed in Spanish. The corrective observation process improved the level of attainment from 80% to 98%. The Verify Critical Control Point 1 (CCP1) process increased from the base line level of attainment of 73% to 93% after training to 100% after the corrective observation process went into effect.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Koo OK, Mertz AW, Akins EL, Sirsat SA, Neal JA, Morawicki R, Crandall PG, Ricke SC. 2013. Analysis of microbial diversity on deli slicers using polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis technologies. Letts Appl Microbiol 56: 111-119.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Neal, JA. 2013. Comparative analysis of training delivery methods for new employees cleaning and sanitizing retail deli slicers: An exploratory study. Food Control 29: 149-155.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Murphy CA, Keiffer EA, Neal JA, Crandall PG. 2013. A customizable evaluation instrument to facilitate comparisons of existing online training programs. Knowledge Management and e-learning 5: 251-268.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Neal JA, OBryan CA, Crandall PG. 2014. A personal hygiene behavioral change study at a Midwestern cheese production plant AFAB. 4: 13-19.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Neal JA, OBryan CA, Crandall PG. 2014. Preventing post-processing contamination in a food nugget processing line when language barriers exist J. AFAB. 4: 20-26.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: OBryan CA, Neal JA, Crandall PG. 2014. Behavioral change study at a Western soup production plant. AFAB. 4: 27-34.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Koo OK, Ndahetuye JB, OBryan CA, Ricke SC, Crandall PG. 2014. Influence of Listeria innocua on the attachment of Listeria monocytogenes to stainless steel and aluminum surfaces. Food Control 39: 135-138.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Mertz AM, Koo OK, OBryan CA, Sirsat SA, Neal JA, Ricke SC, Crandall PG. 2014. Microbial ecology of meat slicers as determined by density gradient gel electrophoresis Food Control 44: 242-247.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Masuku SM, Babu D, Martin EM, OBryan CA, Crandall PG, Ricke SC. 2014. Lethality of moist heat and silver dihydrogen citrate sanitizer combinations on Listeria strains adhered to components of a deli meat slicer Food Control 44: 227-232.


Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Retail delicatessen managers, University researchers, University students, industry Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The results of this research could serve as a guideline when food safety instructors in deli operations develop their own training materials or to identify key concepts in existing training platforms. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We have presented posters at the National meetings of Institute of Food Technologists and International Association for Food Protection. We have presented oral and poster presentations at regional meetings of the Arkansas Association for Food Protection. Peer reviewed articles have been published in widely read journals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We will continue to develop our moist heat treatment for deli slicers as well as as our study of how and why Listeria monocytogenes occupies niches in the retail food service environment. We have some all natural antimicrobials under development that show promise as anti listerial agents.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Commercially available blended cellulose/cotton cloth, microfiber, scouring cloth, nonwoven fabric and terry towel were examined for ability to remove inoculated Listeria monocytogenes from stainless steel and Formica laminate surfaces. Bacteria remaining on the food-contact surfaces and bacteria trapped in each cloth were enumerated. Among all cloths, blended cellulose/cotton cloths showed the highest removal efficiency on both surfaces. Bacteria captured by each cloth did not show significant differences. ATP bioluminescence assay results were significantly reduced by all cleaning cloths although the relative luminescence unit value was higher on stainless steel than on Formica. These results indicate that the performance of cleaning cloths vary for the removal of bacteria and food debris depending on the fabric material. Risk assessments have identified ready-to-eat deli meats sliced at the retail level as one of the categories at highest risk of being contaminated with the foodborne pathogen L. monocytogenes. The deli slicer can harbor L. monocytogenes on food contact surfaces of the slicer blade, food chute or base and potentially in the motor compartment. To determine whether a moist heat treatment would cause a significant reduction of L. monocytogenes inoculated onto aluminum and stainless deli slicer components, we used a bread proofer with controlled relative humidity (RH), operated at 65°C for 7 hours to treat inoculated portions of a deli slicer. We achieved a 5-log reduction of inoculated L. monocytogenes when the RH in the interior of the proofer was maintained at 95% for 45 min, and subsequently at below 10% RH within 2 h, to dry out the electrical components and minimize any potential damage to the slicer. The motor and motor components were not damaged when subjected to repeated moist and dry heat cycles. It should be noted that these cultures were suspended in a laboratory medium. In order to identify the minimal, baseline training that must be given to every new employee in order to keep the public safe from foodborne illnesses, food safety objectives (286) were obtained based on the 2009 United States Food and Drug Administration Food Code and four online food safety training platforms, which were screened by expert Beta panelists. These were presented to 15 experts currently working in or managing retail delis in a three round modified Delphi technique by means of Qualtrics survey software. Delphi is a unique method to develop group consensus for what should be included in subject matter where precise information is not readily available. In the first Delphi round none of the objectives, including those from the FDA Model Food Code, reached the consensus level. A 5-point Likert scale was used to identify the relevance of each deli specific, food safety objective. The results of our statistical analysis were presented to the expert panel before each subsequent Delphi round, so that by the third iteration, 53% of the panelists agreed with the inclusion of particular deli specific training objectives. Fifty-eight of the 75 training objectives achieved at least a 70% consensus rate. None of the current online food safety training materials addresses deli specific content. The results of this research could serve as a guideline when food safety instructors in deli operations develop their own training materials or to identify key concepts in existing training platforms.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Koo O-K, Martin EM, Story R, Lindsay D, Ricke SC, Crandall PG*. 2013. Comparison of cleaning fabrics for bacterial removal from food-contact surfaces. Food Control 30: 292-297.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Lindsay DS, Martin EM, OBryan CA, Crandall PG*, Marks BP, Ricke SC, Marcy JA. 2013. Use of moist heat to supplement cleaning and sanitizing deli slicers for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes. Food Prot Trends 33: 21-26.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Kim KK, Crandall PG, OBryan CA, Ricke SC, Neal, Jr JA. 2013. Identifying baseline food safety training practices for retail delis using the Delphi expert consensus method. Food Control 32: 55-62.


Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Foodborne illness still continues to impact the lives of 1 in 6 Americans each year. The causes are understood, but a complete solution demands a multisectorial approach by University researchers, the food industry and consumers groups. The highest risk food continues to be Ready-to-Eat (RTE) lunch meats sliced in retail food establishments. As part of the solution, we evaluated the resistance of the foodborne pathogen, Listeria monocytogenes, surface-attached to deli slicers to a wide variety of sanitizing agents in a laboratory setting. No sanitizer resulted in more than a 1.5 log CFU per square cm reduction of Listeria when treated and untreated coupons were compared. Sanitizing wipes were also studied, but gave less than a 1 log reduction. Clearly additional research on more effective sanitizers and cleaning procedures are called for. A fluorescent compound (FC) was used to observe deli workers in cross-contamination events. The FC allowed us to visualize and quantify how potential microbial contamination can move within a mock retail deli environment. Participants were asked to complete a series of steps involving the slicing of deli meats in which one of the meat products was inoculated with the FC, then 16 areas in the deli environment including the slicer were swabbed after each participant to quantify the amount of FC present, and both video and still image data were also collected. Consistently elevated levels of FC were found on participants' gloves, the slicer's meat grip, the outside wall of the slicer's carriage tray and on the sliced meat collection area. Video analysis revealed that high-touch areas include the deli meat, deli meat wrapper, deli paper, and plastic bags. The results of this study will enable managers and their employees to visualize how wide-spread cross-contamination can take place in a retail food preparation environment. In a similar study, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements taken after wiping the food contact surfaces with different types of cloths showed poorer cleaning by nonwoven cloths than the microfiber, cotton terry bar, and blended cellulose/cotton cloth types. When used in combination with a novel sanitizer, silver dihydrogen citrate, the cellulose ⁄ cotton cloth showed highest log reduction in ATP and CFU values. A cocktail of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was evaluated for use as a biosanitizer and as an antimicrobial treatment for ready to eat (RTE) foods. The LAB cocktail was able to attach to stainless steel and exhibited bacteriostatic activity toward L. monocytogenes attached on stainless steel, which indicates a possible role for LAB as a biosanitizer in the food industry. The cocktail of the LAB was also inhibitory to L. monocytogenes inoculated onto frankfurters not containing lactate/diacetate after 8 weeks of refrigerated storage, and when a cell free extract (CFS) of the LAB was added with LAB even more inhibition was obtained. In commercial frankfurter formulations containing lactate/diacetate the LAB and the LAB plus CFS were more effective in reducing growth of L. monocytogenes after 8 weeks of refrigerated storage. PARTICIPANTS: Phil Crandall, Steve Ricke, Corliss O'Bryan, Kristen Gibson, Ok Kyung Koo, Betty Martin, Jean Baptiste Ndahetuye, Sabelo Masuku TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
This research has recognized that certain types of cleaning cloths are superior in removing Listeria and viruses from common surfaces in delis, thus minimizing cross contamination. Harmless lactic acid bacteria may be suitable to prevent attachment of Listeria to food contact surfaces as well as in RTE meats themselves. The cleaning effect of wiping cloths on food contact surfaces can be enhanced by dipping them in silver dihydrogen citrate disinfectant.

Publications

  • Crandall PG, Neal JA, OBryan CA, Murphy CA, Marks BP, Ricke SC. 2012. Minimizing the risk of Listeria monocytogenes in retail delis by developing employee focused, cost effective training. Agriculture, Food and Analytical Biology. 1: 159-174.
  • Crandall PG, OBryan CA, Martin EM, Kuefner HM, Pendleton S, Shannon EM, Marcy JA, Ricke SC. 2012. Efficacy of cleaning and sanitizing agents against surface attached Listeria monocytogenes on deli meat slicer components. Food Prot Trends 32: 68.72.
  • Gibson KG, Crandall P, Ricke S. 2012. Virus removal and transfer on food contact surfaces by cleaning cloths. Appl Environ Microbiol 78: 3037-3044.
  • Masuku S, Babu D, Martin E, Koo OK, OBryan CA, Crandall PG, Ricke SC. 2012. Cleaning and decontamination efficacy of wiping cloths and silver dihydrogen citrate on food contact surfaces. J Appl Microbiol 113: 89-95.
  • Ndahetuye JB, Koo OK, OBryan CA, Ricke SC, Crandall PG. 2012. Role of lactic acid bacteria as a bio-sanitizer to prevent attachment of Listeria monocytogenes on deli slicer contact surfaces. J Food Protection 75: 1429-1436.
  • Koo OK, Eggleton M, OBryan CA, Crandall PG, Ricke SC. 2012. Antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria against Listeria monocytogenes on frankfurters formulated with and without lactate/diacetate. Meat Sci 92: 533-537.