Content analysis of food safety implications in online flour-handling recipes
ISSN: 0007-070X
Article publication date: 6 November 2020
Issue publication date: 5 February 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Numerous food recalls and outbreaks were associated with wheat flour in recent years. Few consumers are cognizant of food safety risks associated with raw flour. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the food safety information and flour-handling behaviors presented in popular food blog recipes and in YouTube videos using cookie, cookie dough and egg noodle recipes as examples.
Design/methodology/approach
Eighty-five blog recipes and 146 videos were evaluated. Blog author and video host food-handling experience was classified as professional or nonprofessional. Food safety information and food-handling behaviors were evaluated for adherence to government and scientific recommendations.
Findings
Blog authors and video hosts demonstrated higher awareness of food safety risks associated with raw eggs compared to raw flour, which only translated into better adherence with recommended food-handling behaviors during ingredient addition steps. Cross-contamination from adding raw flour to the product was observed in 25% of videos, whereas cross-contamination from hosts adding raw shell eggs was observed 3% of videos. Blog authors and video hosts did not recommend or demonstrate handwashing after handling raw shell eggs nor raw flour, and fewer than 5% provided recommendations for cleaning work surfaces. Heat treatment methods to convert raw flour into ready-to-eat products were mentioned by 24% of blog authors and 18% of video hosts; however, the recommendations were not scientifically validated.
Originality/value
This study demonstrates the need to develop educational interventions that increase blog authors' and video hosts' awareness of risks associated with raw flour and that translate this knowledge into practiced behaviors.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Carlana Clymer, Juan Archila, Sangavi Subramani and Carley VanNorman for assisting with selecting and coding the blog recipes and videos. This work was supported in part by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Hatch project 1016049 and AFRI grant 2020-68012-31822.
Citation
Barrett, T. and Feng, Y. (2021), "Content analysis of food safety implications in online flour-handling recipes", British Food Journal, Vol. 123 No. 3, pp. 1024-1041. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-04-2020-0351
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited