INTRODUCTION: Salmonella and Campylobacter cause an estimated 1.8 million foodborne infections each year in the United States. Most illnesses are associated with eating raw or undercooked poultry or cross-contamination. Young children and older adults are more likely to have severe infections.
PURPOSE: The purpose was to estimate adherence to recommended food safety practices among older adults and parents of young children when handling raw poultry and to compare the results of the two groups. Methods: A Web-based survey of millennial parents (ages 21 to 40 years) in the United States with a child ≤5 years old living in household (n=1,957) and older adults (aged 65+, n=1,980) was conducted.
RESULTS: The findings present adherence rates for 21 recommended food handling practices. Parents were significantly more likely to report following nine recommended food handling practices. Older adults were significantly more likely to report following seven recommended food handling practices. For the remaining five recommended food handling practices, no differences were found between the two groups. Parents were significantly more likely than older adults to report following recommended food handling practices related to cleaning and cooking. For example, parents (38.8%) were significantly more likely compared with older adults (30.8%) to report not rinsing or washing raw poultry (P<0.001). Older adults were significantly more likely than parents to report following food handling practices related to separating and chilling raw poulty. For example, older adults (86.6%) were significantly more likely compared with parents (68.5%) to report cooking, freezing, or discarding raw poultry within 1 to 2 days of purchase per United States Department of Agriculture cold storage recommendations (P<0.001).
SIGNIFICANCE: To reduce foodborne illness caused by Salmonella and Campylobacter, education is needed to improve consumer handling of raw poultry. To motivate behavior change, food safety messages and materials must be targeted to specific at-risk populations, as their practices are different.
