Understanding Poultry Washing and Post Washing Cleaning and Sanitizing Behaviors of Consumers: An Observational Approach

Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis:

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified contaminated equipment/prevention of contamination as a contributing factor to foodborne illness. Some Americans report washing poultry, and risks associated with washing of poultry during meal preparation have been described in the literature, but little is known about how consumers carry out this task when observed. This study was conducted to determine the adequacy of cleaning and sanitizing events by consumers who self-reported washing chicken in their own homes. During the study participants prepared a meal consisting of chicken pieces and a ready-to-eat salad. Poultry washing behaviors and the spread of a tracer microorganism around a test kitchen were investigated for potential vehicles of cross-contamination.

Methods:

A sample of 300 participants who self-reported washing poultry were recruited from various North Carolina communities, and were asked to prepare raw chicken pieces in a simulated home kitchen while being observed by researchers. One half of the participants received emails with text-based and image-enhanced food safety messages frequently used by FSIS on social media prior to the meal preparation event (intervention group); the other half received emails without food safety messages and served as a control group. Videos of each participant’s preparation events were recorded and coded following completion of the preparation steps. Cleaning and sanitizing actions were coded and adherence to public health messages were measured.

Results:

Cleaning and sanitizing of the sink area was not typically carried out as a two-step process as defined by public health messages. While a rinse or clean (with soap) step occurred in 65% of observations, a two-step clean and sanitize process occurred in only 4% of observations when chicken was washed. Consumers paid most attention to cleaning and sanitizing utensils and cutting boards that would be further used with ready-to-eat foods.

Conclusions:

Currently, how pathogens move around a kitchen is not well known. Unsafe food handling behaviors like washing poultry can further contaminate a kitchen in the absence of cleaning and sanitizing steps. The level of non-attempts or inadequate cleaning and/or sanitizing of surfaces and utensils after washing poultry, revealed in this study demonstrate washing raw poultry is likely a vehicle for pathogen transfer from raw poultry products to the kitchen environment.

Implications for research and/or practice:

Data collected through direct observation more accurately reflects consumer food handling behaviors than data collected through self-reported surveys and allows for more targeted message development. Messages targeting consumers should be updated to include the focus on sink cleaning and sanitizing during poultry preparation. Ultimately, food safety messages should seek to deter consumers from washing poultry at all, and could highlight these risks to be more impactful.