Infrastructure and communication challenges can pose barriers to food safety in the low-moisture food industry

It was previously believed that foods with low moisture content, such as dried fruit, seeds, nuts and wheat flour, posed minimal microbial risks. However, the increased number of outbreaks associated with bacteria-contaminated, low-moisture foods have resulted in product recalls, lawsuits and financial losses.

Despite these growing concerns, there have been limited studies in food safety research and extensive needs for the low-moisture food sector. Researchers at Purdue University are stepping in to fill this gap.

Yaohua Feng, associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Food Sciences at Purdue University and principal investigator in the Food Safety Human Factor Lab, leads a research team that has identified key challenges in ensuring the safety of low-moisture foods. These barriers include issues with hygienic design, risk communication, behavior change and limited resources.

Feng and Ph.D. student Han Chen, together with colleagues from other institutions, developed a two-part needs assessment in collaboration with the Center for Low-Moisture Food Safety. The team’s goal was to better understand food safety culture, research and education needs, and barriers to the adoption of food safety-enhancing technologies.

Their findings were published in the Journal for Food Protection.

As part of the center’s multi-state research group, which includes food engineers, microbiologists, economists and risk assessors from seven universities and one government agency—Feng’s laboratory focused on the human factors that influence food safety, specifically people’s expectations, perceptions, and behaviors surrounding the handling of low-moisture foods.

The first study included online interviews and a debriefing discussion session with senior management in dry food manufacturing, while the second study distributed an anonymous online survey to a separate group of experts with industry experience. Participants included professionals from government agencies, food industry companies and academia.

“When it comes to food safety, unfortunately we usually react instead of being proactive. For a long time, sanitary technologies and validation data were developed based on a food matrix with a high moisture content. There is more literature on those foods: how to conduct validation studies and disinfect properly,” said Feng. “For example, while water is essential for washing and sanitizing equipment in a factory that produces food with high moisture content, you wouldn’t want to introduce water into food processing with low moisture content – ​​it can be done. cause cross-contamination and cause more problems.”

Stakeholders were eager to contribute insights and participate in the project. “We don’t often see the industry being so open, especially the bigger players. It’s a new approach that stakeholders are willing to participate and talk about their weaknesses,” Feng said. “As researchers and Extension specialists, we welcome this opportunity to form a consortium where we are partners. We want to join forces to solve a problem.”

Based on feedback from the 25 participants, a conceptual framework for food safety culture was developed that includes three key components: infrastructure conditions; an individual’s knowledge, attitudes and risk perceptions about food safety; and organizational circumstances.

The research also identified several infrastructure-related challenges, noting that food safety is often not prioritized when facilities are first designed.

“In the past, microbial food safety in low-moisture foods was not a focus of consumers and most manufacturers. Hygienic design was not taken into account when building factories in many older production facilities,” explains Feng. “On the other hand, low moisture food safety is even newer to consumers than it is to the industry. There are no inspectors regulating or educating consumers in their home kitchens.”

Another crucial finding is the challenge of communicating food safety risks within the sector. Because low-moisture foods are often considered inherently safe, it can be difficult to convince upper management and employees to invest in food safety initiatives.

“With these communication challenges, you need to tailor risk communication messages to your target groups. For example, upper management is usually the decision maker about the resources spent on changes toward food safety. The consequences of involvement in an outbreak or recall can be highlighted. in communicating the risks to them,” Chen advised. “One outbreak could have a damaging impact on the company and even on the entire sector.”

While the study does not provide for this best practicesit serves as a roadmap for future food safety research and expansion efforts.

“The needs have been identified and now we are in the process of addressing the needs. Going forward, we want to create a unified forum for collaboration between industry, government and academia to solve problems food safety problems. We need the right technology, assessment, decision-making tools and shared commitment from all stakeholders. Everyone has to work in the same direction,” Feng said.