To bridge gaps between knowledge and practice in consumer food safety, the Purdue Food Safety Human Factor Program was created in 2018 with a commitment to using sociological approaches to explore cultural, social, and environmental factors that affect food safety behavior at home.
Dr. Betty Feng and the students in her program develop strategies that empower consumers to make science-based decisions, and increases food safety knowledge and best-practice compliance.
As a member of the North Central Region Food Safety Team (NCRFST), Purdue Food Safety Human Factor Program is collaborating with other experts from the region on a webinar series to support fellow BAC Fighters to connect and update on trending consumer food safety topics.
In choosing topics for the free webinar series, Betty and student Zachery Berglund looked at common misperceptions and myths, including food shelf life, freezing practices, flour safety, and food recalls.
One common misconception that will be explored is that freezing food can kill bacteria. Another that will be explored is that a food is safe to eat after the best by date if the food smells and looks fine. These myths could be contributing to the number of cases of food poisoning that occur every year in the United States.
BAC Fighters are encouraged to join this webinar series!
Dr. Londa Nwadike, an extension associate professor of food safety for Kansas State University and Missouri University, will cover:
- Best practices for produce handling and storage
- Extending the shelf life and quality of produce
- Food safety considerations for freezing produce
Dr. Betty Feng, assistant professor and extension specialist of Purdue University will cover:
- Food safety risks of low moisture foods- flour and tree nuts
- Best practices of flour handling and tree nut handling
- Food safety implications of home-made nut milk and ready-to-eat cookie dough.
Dr. Julie Garden-Robinson, a professor and extension specialist of North Dakota State University, will cover:
- Understanding “Best-By” dates on foods
- Reducing food waste by using composting and other tools
- How to handle food recalls.
Each webinar will end with 15 minutes for questions with the experts.
These free webinars will be held 2 to 2:45 p.m. Eastern on the following dates:
- Wednesday, June 30 – Dr. Londa Nwadike
- Wednesday, July 14 – Dr. Betty Feng
- Thursday, August 5 – Dr. Julie Garden-Robinson
Pre-registration is required. Sign up here!
Zachary Berglund is a graduate research assistant at the Perdue Food Safety Human Factor Program. For food safety info and events, follow @the_food_guardian on Instagram and @FengsLab1 on Twitter.
