Title: Survey of food safety behaviour in Nevada child caregivers

Authors: Mary P. Wilson, Aruna Surendera Babu, Stanley T. Omaye

Addresses: University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA. ' Nutrition Department, Mail Stop 142, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, NV 89557, USA. ' Nutrition Department, Mail Stop 142, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, NV 89557, USA

Abstract: We assessed the food safety practices of supervisors in Nevada childcare facilities. Although caregivers have a basic understanding of food safety, specific concerns exist, e.g. 32% of facilities indicated that they prepare food for others when experiencing diarrhoea and 51% indicated a little to no knowledge of hazard analysis and critical control point system guidelines. We found that people from rural region had a higher preference, by 11 and 16%, for eating raw cookie dough, compared to people from southern and northern regions, respectively. Thus, some gaps in food safety knowledge for childcare facilities in Nevada, where future educational strategies will be targeted.

Keywords: childcare facilities; foodborne illness; food safety education; Nevada; supervisors; carers; food safety knowledge; food handling; public health; foodborne disease.

DOI: 10.1504/IJFSNPH.2008.023012

International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, 2008 Vol.1 No.2, pp.116 - 126

Published online: 07 Feb 2009 *

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