Title: Secret Shopper: Grocery Store Employee Food Handling Practices from a Customer
1Secret Shopper Grocery Store Employee Food
Handling Practices from a Customers Perspective
- Food Safety Forum
- February 20, 2006
- Ben Chapman
- bchapman_at_uoguelph.ca
2Food Retail in Canada
- Second largest retail sector
- Employs 1/6 of Canadians
- Sells gt70 billion in food each year
3Consumer Confidence
- 95 of consumers are confident that the food in
grocery stores is safe as long as the building
remains clean and the food is of high quality. - (FMI, 2001)
- 2001- Mad cow in Japan
- - Beef sales down 20-30
- 2004- Environmental contaminants
- in farmed and wild salmon
- - Fish sales in Canada down 20
4The Super Market
- 97 of foodborne illness caused by improper food
handler practices in food service establishments
and homes. - (Howes, et al., 1996)
- Grocery stores may be the last opportunity to
control potential hazards leading to foodborne
illness
5Objectives
- To observe food handling behaviors of grocery
store employees - To determine what advice grocery store employees
offer to customers seeking food safety
information - To identify areas that should be improved in the
development of grocery store training programs
6Store Selection
- Stores from two South-Central Ontario cites and
their surrounding areas - Selection criteria
- Must offer bakery, fresh seafood, butcher/fresh
meat, hot and cold deli, fresh produce and dairy
departments - 25 stores met selection criteria
- 13 stores randomly chosen
- At least one store per town/city
- Maximum of 5 stores from major cities
7Secret Shopper Checklist
Grocery Store Sanitation Restroom Sanitation
Fresh Produce Bakery
Food Bar Seafood
Hot/Cold Deli Butcher/Raw meat counter
Dairy Cold Food/ Frozen Food
Canned Food Cashiers
Are employees wearing hair restraints?
Do employees change gloves in between
handling/serving cooked and raw meat?
Do cashiers place raw meat in a separate bag?
8Informal Interview Questions
General Food Safety Produce Department
Butcher Department Seafood Section
Hot Deli Cold Deli
Cashier
What does this date expiry date mean?
How long can I keep this raw fish for before I
cook it?
Do you ever get a chance to wash your hands?
9Secret Shoppers
- 10 researchers
- Various age and appearance
- Had previous knowledge of and experience with
food safety - Trained to portrayed customers
- November 2003-January 2004 secret shopper visited
stores - Each store visited 3 times
- Full notes on visits were recorded immediately
after leaving stores
10Data Analysis
- Information was transcribed
- Content analysis was performed to identify common
trends - Results were triangulated to confirm the observed
trends
11Cleanliness
12Hygiene
13Cross Contamination
14Storage Temperature
15Unsafe Foods
16Information
17Memorable Quotes
You wont get anything from our food Ill
guarantee it.
Just refrigerate it.
You will know it meat is cooked when it is
brown
18Conclusions
- Practices that are easy to monitor are controlled
- Employee controlled practices present a problem
- Retail training programs need focus on the
importance of hand washing and proper glove use - Grocery stores need to provide information about
current food safety issues. - Employees should be aware of the location of food
safety information
19Acknowledgements
- Lisa Mathiasen
- Secret Shoppers
20(No Transcript)