Knowledge of food safety among consumers has various dimensions. Due to a number of food-related incidents and reported outbreaks worldwide, consumer confidence has begun to vacillate. The objective ...of this quantitative survey (
n
=
1030) was to determine Slovenian consumers’ food safety knowledge and practices during purchase, transportation and storage of food, as well as food handling practices at home. The study highlighted gaps in food safety knowledge and some critical safety violations regarding food handling at home. Half of the respondents never thought of using a cooling bag for the transport of refrigerated or frozen foods. Approximately half of the respondents defrost meat on working surfaces and only one-third wash knives and cutting boards with hot water and detergent before re-use or use clean implements. Forty-four percent of respondents did not know the correct refrigerator temperature for the storage of perishable food. All other determinations concerning food safety knowledge and practices are presented and discussed. Consumer education should be the focus in order to reduce foodborne diseases. Educational material regarding Good Housekeeping Practice should be available to the general public from many sources. Only safety-conscious consumers can become active partners within the food safety circle.
The importance of maintaining a cold chain for foods that require cold-storage should guide the habits of the modern consumer in this era of globalisation. Lack of time is the reason why consumers in ...everyday life often buy chilled and frozen food that either has a short preparation time or does not even require any further heat treatment. This article investigates the maintenance and understanding of the cold chain among consumers in the framework of food safety. Data were collected with a questionnaire completed by 116 consumers during a specific time of the day in stores in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, and in surrounding districts. The results confirmed that the term “cold chain” is not well known among consumers. It was also shown that Slovenian and European consumers place the responsibility of maintaining a cold chain onto other parts of the food chain. One of the reasons for poor knowledge of the cold chain could be due to the unsatisfactory efforts of governmental and non-governmental organizations, which are responsible for educating and informing consumers. The role of the consumer in maintaining a cold chain is more important than is currently thought, and is greater than the importance attached to other parts of the food chain. The authors believe that only the consumer can change the less than ideal situation revealed in this study. It is also important that we inform consumers of the unknown risks associated with improper food handling.
Food safety knowledge and practices among pregnant and non-pregnant women in Slovenia were systematically assessed through an inquiry-based investigation. The study was conducted with 291 pregnant ...women, who attended antenatal classes at the time of the investigation, and 200 non-pregnant women, all of whom participated during consultation hours for parents in ten, randomly selected primary schools in the country. Results showed that a high level of food safety awareness was possessed by both groups of respondents. However, some food safety differences were recorded (e.g., kitchen practices that can lead to cross-contamination), mainly in younger women under 25 years of age. Pregnant women more frequently had the main meal at fast-food restaurants and de-frosted frozen food at room temperature in the kitchen. However, when purchasing food they paid more attention to food safety assurance elements such as checking ‘best before’ date, paying attention to hygienic conditions in stores, and assessing the veterinary control of meat. The results showed that the living location (in town) and age group (above 25 years of age) had a significant impact on food safety knowledge. Educational programs in antenatal classes need to be supplemented with information concerning the principles of food safety at home in order to encourage desired food safety patterns. To achieve global food safety it is necessary to inform consumers, especially vulnerable groups, about fundamental principles of food safety assurance at home, since food safety begins and ends in the home of a consumer.
