Survey shows disconnect between food-safety understanding and action

They know what to do but they don’t do that
Although most consumers indicate a proficient working knowledge of safe food handling practices, they don't always put that knowledge into action, according to an exclusive survey conducted by POULTRY and its sister publication Meatingplace. The majority of respondents, for example, recognize that USDA recommends cooking fresh poultry to at a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F. At the same time, 63 percent of consumers said they rarely or never use a meat thermometer to ensure the product is properly cooked. One third of respondents said they could tell if a meat or poultry product was cooked just by looking at it.Sixty-one percent follow recommended guidelines to defrost frozen product in the refrigerator, and 59 percent said they regularly read a package's preparation directions. But 40 percent rarely or never read safe-handling instructions.The publications conducted a survey in November of about 600 primary food purchasers nationwide via Zoomerang.com to gauge consumer actions and attitudes. "With the risk of food-borne illness so dependent on food-handling practices, we wanted to gauge what consumers know, or think they know, about handling fresh meat and poultry," said Bill McDowell, vice president of editorial for the magazines. "We were surprised by the results. Consumers actually know more one might guess. The problem is, they don't always do what they should. This gap reveals both a need and opportunity for the industry to accelerate its education and outreach efforts."
Meatingplace.com
Aporte: Guillermo Figueroa