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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Brenda L. Elledge, MPH, College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 801 NE 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, 405-271-6477, brenda-elledge@ouhsc.edu
The American food supply is among the safest in the world; however, it is estimated that between 6.5 and 81 million cases occur each year. The CDC reports that 97% of all cases result from improper handling of food, of which 79% result from food prepared in commercial or institutional establishments. Within a complex system of food safety, the retail establishment inspection process is designed as a risk assessment tool to prevent food borne illness; the effectiveness of the process has been called to question. 566 Registered Sanitarians and/or Environmental Specialists and 22 County Health Department Administrators in the State of Oklahoma were mailed a questionnaire designed to assess the use and function of the inspection process. Data collected compares and contrasts the performance of sanitarians in the course on an inspection to tasks administration thinks is/should be performed. Preliminary results indicate that various adoptions of the Food Code are being utilized across the state by sanitarians (only 17% refer to the state adopted 1999 Food Code) and approximately 44% do not use the process as a risk assessment tool. A 32% response rate was obtained that revealed the mission of the process was identified to be similar between the 3 groups, but the function and use of the process differed.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.