@article{townsend_strawn_chapman_yavelak_mishra_dunn_2022, title={Factors that predict Listeria prevalence in distribution centers handling fresh produce}, volume={107}, ISSN={["1095-9998"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.fm.2022.104065}, abstractNote={Listeria species prevalence has been investigated at nearly all stages of the fresh produce supply chain; however, it has not been examined in transportation and distribution center (DC) related environments. Between December 2019 and March 2021, 18 DCs handling fresh produce were environmentally sampled for Listeria. Swab samples were collected from a variety of surfaces (e.g., floors, pallets, forklifts) in several areas of each DC (e.g., cold storage, shipping and receiving docks). Impaction air samples, relative humidity, and temperature data were also collected. While no Listeria spp. were isolated from air samples (n = 170), they were isolated from 49 of 982 (ca. 5%) environmental samples. The proportion of Listeria spp. positive samples varied significantly across individual DCs (P < 0.01). Several facility characteristics were significantly associated with a Listeria spp. positive sample, such as zone, sampling site dryness, and cleaning regimen. A random forest model (sensitivity: 0.786, specificity: 0.874) identified geographical location and general sampling location (e.g., cold storage rooms, shipping docks) as the two most important variables associated with Listeria spp. detection. This study identified likely harborage sites (e.g., floors, cleaning equipment) of Listeria spp. in DCs across the US and emphasized the importance of sanitation operations in Listeria-prone areas.}, journal={FOOD MICROBIOLOGY}, author={Townsend, Anna and Strawn, Laura K. and Chapman, Benjamin J. and Yavelak, Mary and Mishra, Abhinav and Dunn, Laurel L.}, year={2022}, month={Oct} }
 @article{levine_yavelak_luchansky_porto-fett_chapman_2017, title={Consumer perceptions of the safety of ready-to-eat foods in retail food store settings}, volume={80}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85026206789&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-16-417}, abstractNote={To better understand how consumers perceive food safety risks in retail food store settings, a survey was administered to 1,041 nationally representative participants who evaluated possible food safety risks depicted in selected photographs and self-reported their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. Participants were shown 12 photographs taken at retail stores portraying either commonly perceived or actual food safety contributing factors, such as cross-contamination, product and equipment temperatures, worker hygiene, and/or store sanitation practices. Participants were then asked to specifically identify what they saw, comment as to whether what they saw was safe or unsafe, and articulate what actions they would take in response to these situations. In addition to the survey, focus groups were employed to supplement survey findings with qualitative data. Survey respondents identified risk factors for six of nine actual contributing factor photographs >50% of the time: poor produce storage sanitation (86%, n = 899), cross-contamination during meat slicing (72%, n = 750), bare-hand contact of ready-to-eat food in the deli area (67%, n = 698), separation of raw and ready-to-eat food in the seafood case (63%, n = 660), cross-contamination from serving utensils in the deli case (62%, n = 644), and incorrect product storage temperature (51%, n = 528). On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 was very unsafe and 5 was very safe, a significant difference was found between average risk perception scores for photographs of actual contributing factors (score of ca. 2.5) and scores for photographs of perceived contributing factors (score of ca. 2.0). Themes from the focus groups supported the results of the survey and provided additional insight into consumer food safety risk perceptions. The results of this study inform communication interventions for consumers and retail food safety professionals aimed at improving hazard identification.}, number={8}, journal={Journal of Food Protection}, author={Levine, K. and Yavelak, M. and Luchansky, J.B. and Porto-Fett, A.C.S. and Chapman, Benjamin}, year={2017}, pages={1364–1377} }