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Cognitive and Organizational Aspects of Food Safety: Improving Practices through...
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Cognitive and Organizational Aspects of Food Safety: Improving Practices through Behavior

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 July 2022) | Viewed by 19320

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Diogo Thimoteo Da Cunha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Applied Sciences, State University of Campinas—UNICAMP, Limeira 13484-350, SP, Brazil
Interests: risk perceptions; food safety practices; food services management; consumer's behavior; consumer's choice; risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Elke Stedefeldt

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Preventive Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP 04023-062, Brazil
Interests: risk perceptions; resilience; food safety practices; food safety culture; consumer’s behavior; risk assessment; food defense

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food safety is a significant issue worldwide. Despite technological advancements, local policies, and investments, foodborne illness has been a global concern in recent years. Health managers, researchers, and organizations seek approaches to mitigate the risks and consequences of foodborne illness since formal training and knowledge-based strategies seem to have limited results. To overcome the difficulties in improving food safety, studies, standards, and policies drive attention to behavior-based approaches. Such approaches seek to evaluate and strengthen the cognitive aspects of food safety such as risk perceptions and the associated factors (or cognitive illusions), food safety climate, and organizational factors such as food safety culture, leadership, and communication. In addition, it is crucial to understand the role of consumers in food safety. How consumers perceive the risks associated with eating indoors and outdoors and how they behave are vital for appropriate policies and education.

This Special Issue will explore cognitive factors affecting managers, food handlers, and consumer food safety practices. Studies on educational strategies to improve food safety, food safety performance in food services, food safety policies, and new methods for evaluating food safety practices are also welcomed. For this, the Guest Editors are looking for high-quality research and practical initiatives that investigate drivers of food safety practices.

Prof. Dr. Diogo Thimoteo da Cunha
Prof. Dr. Elke Stedefeldt
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food safety behavior
  • food safety culture and climate
  • food safety performance
  • organizational culture
  • knowledge, attitudes, and practices
  • risk perception
  • behavioral theories
  • food service industry (public and private restaurants, street food)
  • training
  • foodborne diseases
  • Food Safety Policy

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1019 KiB  
Article
Job Crafting and Burnout as Predictors of Food Safety Behaviors in the Foodservice Industry
by Leticia Guimarães Perdomo Nascimento, Ageo Mario Candido da Silva, Elke Stedefeldt and Diogo Thimoteo da Cunha
Foods 2022, 11(17), 2671; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11172671 - 2 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2690
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate whether job crafting, burnout, and work engagement predict food safety behaviors in the foodservice industry. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Cuiabá (Brazil) among foodservice workers. Four instruments were used among foodservice workers for the examination: (a) [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate whether job crafting, burnout, and work engagement predict food safety behaviors in the foodservice industry. It was a cross-sectional study conducted in Cuiabá (Brazil) among foodservice workers. Four instruments were used among foodservice workers for the examination: (a) job demands and resources, (b) job satisfaction, (c) burnout, and (d) work engagement. Food safety practices were measured using a validated risk-based checklist. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis model. In this study, 22 restaurants and 302 foodservice workers were examined. It was found that the “job demands-resources” model was valid for foodservice workers, i.e., burnout was strongly predicted by job demands (β = 0.550; p < 0.001); job resources were a positive predictor of work engagement (β = 0.258; p < 0.001); and burnout was a negative predictor of work engagement (β = −0.411; p < 0.001). Food safety violations were predicted by job crafting (β = −0.125; p = 0.029) and burnout (β = 0.143; p = 0.016). The results indicate that mitigating burnout and increasing job crafting can be important supporting strategies to improve food safety behaviors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive and Organizational Aspects of Food Safety: Improving Practices through Behavior)
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12 pages, 276 KiB  
Article
Healthy and Sustainable Food: A Cross-Cultural Study among Spanish and Italian Consumers
by Debora Scarpato, Giacomo Rotondo and Mariarosaria Simeone
Foods 2022, 11(13), 1941; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11131941 - 29 Jun 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1637
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the perception of environmental attributes and food safety in Italy and Spain and how these different perceptions influence the importance of various attributes and certifications related to food. These two countries have a common root [...] Read more.
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the perception of environmental attributes and food safety in Italy and Spain and how these different perceptions influence the importance of various attributes and certifications related to food. These two countries have a common root and some undeniable similarities, but there are two completely distinct individualities. Three main research questions have, thus, been identified: attention to food safety regarding Italian and Spanish consumers; the role of ecological certifications in the perception of health in the two countries; the role of the brand and the choice of organic products in the perception of food safety. To answer the research questions, a questionnaire was administered, face to face, to a sample of both Spanish consumers and Italian consumers. The analysis of the data collected through the questionnaires was administered using two logistic regressions to identify which variables influence issues concerning the health and safety of food products. A Spanish consumer interested in ecological certifications is also a consumer who is attentive to the safety and health of food consumption. Looking at Italian consumers, it is highly probable that a consumer who assesses ecological certifications positively is also a consumer concerned about food safety, but this probability increases the likelihood this consumer’s choices are guided by brands and frequent consumption of organic products. This research has allowed us to highlight sharp differences in the approach to consumption in these two countries, which, despite similar cultures and the same sensitivity to environmental and food safety issues, exhibit marked differences in the selection of food products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive and Organizational Aspects of Food Safety: Improving Practices through Behavior)
17 pages, 13932 KiB  
Article
Disentangling Drivers of Food Waste in Households: Evidence from Nigeria
by Calvin Oluwafemi Sunday, Fatai Abiola Sowunmi, Oluwakemi Adeola Obayelu, Abiodun Emmanuel Awoyemi, Abiodun Olusola Omotayo and Adebayo Isaiah Ogunniyi
Foods 2022, 11(8), 1103; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11081103 - 12 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3695
Abstract
Food waste is a burden on society in terms of the money wasted. There is limited information on the determinants of food waste and the amount lost to food waste by households as most previous studies were on post-harvest losses. Hence, determinants of [...] Read more.
Food waste is a burden on society in terms of the money wasted. There is limited information on the determinants of food waste and the amount lost to food waste by households as most previous studies were on post-harvest losses. Hence, determinants of food waste among households in Kogi West Senatorial District, Kogi State Nigeria were investigated. A three-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents, while a structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using Tobit regression and an equality test. The study revealed that food waste was higher in male headed households. The average monthly food waste proportion among urban households was significantly higher than that of rural households. The estimated amounts lost to food waste per month were ₦2103 and ₦5530 for the rural and urban households, respectively. These represented 7.2% and 13.1% of the total expenditure on food per month for rural and urban households, respectively. Among rural households, leftovers of food and lack of proper storage were the main reasons for food waste, while leftovers of food and preparation of food more than needed were the reasons for food waste among urban households. The sex of respondents, work experience, and monthly income influenced the proportion of food waste among rural households, while the dependency ratio, monthly income, and monthly food expenditure were the determinants of proportion of food waste among the urban households. Non-Governmental Organization efforts through sensitization campaigns focused on the need to reduce food waste, especially among urban households, would help to reduce the financial burden of food waste on households. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive and Organizational Aspects of Food Safety: Improving Practices through Behavior)
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22 pages, 2318 KiB  
Article
The Critical Role of Consumers in the Prevention of Foodborne Diseases: An Ethnographic Study of Italian Families
by Alessio Menini, Giulia Mascarello, Mosè Giaretta, Alice Brombin, Silvia Marcolin, Fabrizio Personeni, Anna Pinto and Stefania Crovato
Foods 2022, 11(7), 1006; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11071006 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4560
Abstract
A high incidence of foodborne diseases occurs in the home setting because consumers adopt inappropriate preparation, consumption, and storage procedures. The present study applies an ethnographic approach to identify inadequate practices that could increase the incidence of foodborne diseases. Techniques related to the [...] Read more.
A high incidence of foodborne diseases occurs in the home setting because consumers adopt inappropriate preparation, consumption, and storage procedures. The present study applies an ethnographic approach to identify inadequate practices that could increase the incidence of foodborne diseases. Techniques related to the ethnographic approach were used: participant observation, kitchens mapping, collection of photographic material, and informal interviews in natural settings. A sample of 14 families was involved through the snowball sampling technique. This study identifies habitual practices and routine behaviour as the main risk factors. The inadequacies most frequently encountered related to the microbiological risks are incorrect handwashing, the presence in the kitchen spaces of objects unrelated to food preparation, the improper use of dishcloths and sponges, the inappropriate washing of utensils and food, the incorrect storage of food in the fridge, and the presence of children and pets without an adequate administration of the spaces. The practices that can expose consumers to chemical risk include food preservation through unsuitable containers/materials, food overcooking, and detergents contamination. The data underline the need to implement communicative and training interventions that give precise and targeted indications about correct safety practices in the home setting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive and Organizational Aspects of Food Safety: Improving Practices through Behavior)
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Review

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16 pages, 795 KiB  
Review
What Motivates Consumer Food Safety Perceptions and Beliefs? A Scoping Review in BRICS Countries
by Luis D’Avoglio Zanetta, Raísa Moreira Dardaque Mucinhato, Mariana Piton Hakim, Elke Stedefeldt and Diogo Thimoteo da Cunha
Foods 2022, 11(3), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11030432 - 1 Feb 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 5791
Abstract
This scoping review aimed to map the main evidence in the existing literature regarding consumer perceptions and beliefs regarding food safety in the context of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries. Articles were searched in the Web of Science, Scopus, [...] Read more.
This scoping review aimed to map the main evidence in the existing literature regarding consumer perceptions and beliefs regarding food safety in the context of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) countries. Articles were searched in the Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases. The last search was performed on November 2021. Only the studies conducted within BRICS countries were included. The synthesis aimed to group similarities in consumer beliefs and perceptions of food safety. After screening, 74 eligible articles were included in the study. Of the 74 studies analyzed, 49 (66.2%) were carried out in China, 14 (18.9%) in Brazil, 5 (6.8%) in India,4 (5.4%) in South Africa, and 2 (2.7%) in Russia. Thirty-three motivators of perceptions and beliefs regarding food safety were identified. Food safety motivators were grouped into three categories: (1) sociodemographic characteristics, (2) cognitive aspects, and (3) other. In the “sociodemographic characteristics” category, the motivator with the highest number of corresponding results was education level (results = 22), followed by income (results = 22), both positive drivers for food safety perceptions. The “cognitive aspects” category comprised the majority of the identified motivators. Concern for food safety (results = 32) and risk perception (results = 30) were the motivators with the highest number of results among all categories and motivators. Finally, the main motivator in the “other” category was place of consumption/purchase (results = 8), focusing on consumers underestimating the risk of having a foodborne disease when eating away from home. China and Brazil are leading the way in studies on this topic. Consumers’ perceptions are influenced by socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, education level, income), cognitive aspects (e.g., knowledge, risk perception, food concerns, previous experience with food safety incidents) and other situational factors (e.g., price, place of purchase, traceability). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive and Organizational Aspects of Food Safety: Improving Practices through Behavior)
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