Management risk factors associated with foodborne disease outbreaks in the catering industry in England and Wales.

Jones, Sarah L. 2008. Management risk factors associated with foodborne disease outbreaks in the catering industry in England and Wales. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.

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Abstract

Despite structured enforcement of food safety requirements known to prevent foodborne disease outbreaks, catering businesses continue to be the most common setting for outbreaks in England and Wales. Limited published evidence suggests that the way catering businesses are managed and operated may contribute to food safety control failures which in turn can result in an outbreak. The purpose of this study, funded by the Food Standards Agency1,2 was to identify the underlying management factors that may contribute to or prevent outbreaks in the catering industry. A matched case control study compared the management and operational practices of 148 catering businesses associated with foodborne outbreaks with 148 control catering businesses. High response rates were achieved: case businesses 90%, and control businesses 93%. To minimise false inferences from chance associations analysis followed a predefined hypothesised causal pathway. Hazard analysis critical control point systems and formal food hygiene training were found not to be protective and food hygiene inspection scores were not useful in predicting which businesses were likely to be associated with outbreaks. Larger small medium sized (SME) businesses were more likely to be associated with outbreaks compared to micro SME businesses. Operational and management practices did not differ significantly between case and control businesses when adjusted for SME size. SME size was not explained by other staff employment and management variables. However, businesses associated with Salmonella outbreaks were significantly more likely to use regional egg suppliers, the only significantly independent operational practice associated with Salmonella outbreaks. Regional egg suppliers were also more likely to supply businesses associated with outbreaks that were attributed to food vehicles containing eggs. Businesses associated with egg outbreaks were less likely to use eggs produced under an approved quality assurance scheme suggesting that the underlying risk associated with using regional suppliers may relate to the use of contaminated eggs.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Medicine
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Funders:	Food Standards Agency
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	12 Jun 2019 03:02
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/54107

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