Evaluation of the Handling Practices and Risk Perceptions of Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms in Asian Restaurants in the United States
In late 2020, dried wood ear mushrooms, a low-moisture food ingredient that had been imported and sold to restaurants, were linked to a foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Stanley, which sickened 55 individuals across the United States. These mushrooms are commonly used in Asian cuisine. It is unclear...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Food Protection |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X23068825 |
| _version_ | 1797350916040425472 |
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| author | Han Chen Elma Kontor-Manu Haohui Zhu Gloria Cheng Yaohua Feng |
| author_facet | Han Chen Elma Kontor-Manu Haohui Zhu Gloria Cheng Yaohua Feng |
| author_sort | Han Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In late 2020, dried wood ear mushrooms, a low-moisture food ingredient that had been imported and sold to restaurants, were linked to a foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Stanley, which sickened 55 individuals across the United States. These mushrooms are commonly used in Asian cuisine. It is unclear if the contaminated dried wood ear mushrooms that caused the foodborne illnesses were improperly handled during preparation. The objectives of this study are to assess the handling practices, risk perceptions, and food recall experiences of dried wood ear mushrooms in restaurant kitchens among Asian restaurant managers and chefs. We conducted a series of telephone interviews with managers and chefs of Asian restaurants in the United States who used dried wood ear mushrooms in making dishes. After reaching information saturation, a total of 25 restaurant managers and chefs participated in the interview. Our results showed that 76% of the participants did not keep track of package information, such as expiration date and lot number, and many participants reported using cold water for rehydration. Wood ear mushrooms were blanched before being used in all cold dishes and most stir-fry dishes, but less commonly in stew or ramen. Some participants (16%) did not view dried wood ear mushrooms as a raw food ingredient, and 16% did not perceive that low-moisture food ingredients constituted microbiological food safety risks. The majority of the participants had heard of food recalls, but only 17% knew about the dried wood ear mushroom recall, and even fewer had heard of food recalls of other low-moisture foods, like nuts and seeds (9%), and flour (4%). While this study shares similarities with previously published studies evaluating the handling practices of consumers and restaurant employees with respect to meat and poultry, it makes a distinctive contribution to the field of food safety as the first-of-its-kind to study the handling practices of a low-moisture food ingredient: dried wood ear mushrooms. This unique ethnic food ingredient has been associated with a past outbreak and multiple recalls in the United States. The findings of the study show the need to develop food safety educational programs that are tailored toward Asian restaurant food handlers and provide guidance to develop risk communication strategies for this niche audience. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:52:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-090bf3db361147bab0c234ce64ca7705 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0362-028X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T12:52:58Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Food Protection |
| spelling | doaj.art-090bf3db361147bab0c234ce64ca77052024-01-20T04:44:16ZengElsevierJournal of Food Protection0362-028X2024-01-01871100198Evaluation of the Handling Practices and Risk Perceptions of Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms in Asian Restaurants in the United StatesHan Chen0Elma Kontor-Manu1Haohui Zhu2Gloria Cheng3Yaohua Feng4Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USADepartment of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USADepartment of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USADepartment of Public Health, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USADepartment of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA; Corresponding author. Address: 745 Agriculture Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.In late 2020, dried wood ear mushrooms, a low-moisture food ingredient that had been imported and sold to restaurants, were linked to a foodborne outbreak of Salmonella Stanley, which sickened 55 individuals across the United States. These mushrooms are commonly used in Asian cuisine. It is unclear if the contaminated dried wood ear mushrooms that caused the foodborne illnesses were improperly handled during preparation. The objectives of this study are to assess the handling practices, risk perceptions, and food recall experiences of dried wood ear mushrooms in restaurant kitchens among Asian restaurant managers and chefs. We conducted a series of telephone interviews with managers and chefs of Asian restaurants in the United States who used dried wood ear mushrooms in making dishes. After reaching information saturation, a total of 25 restaurant managers and chefs participated in the interview. Our results showed that 76% of the participants did not keep track of package information, such as expiration date and lot number, and many participants reported using cold water for rehydration. Wood ear mushrooms were blanched before being used in all cold dishes and most stir-fry dishes, but less commonly in stew or ramen. Some participants (16%) did not view dried wood ear mushrooms as a raw food ingredient, and 16% did not perceive that low-moisture food ingredients constituted microbiological food safety risks. The majority of the participants had heard of food recalls, but only 17% knew about the dried wood ear mushroom recall, and even fewer had heard of food recalls of other low-moisture foods, like nuts and seeds (9%), and flour (4%). While this study shares similarities with previously published studies evaluating the handling practices of consumers and restaurant employees with respect to meat and poultry, it makes a distinctive contribution to the field of food safety as the first-of-its-kind to study the handling practices of a low-moisture food ingredient: dried wood ear mushrooms. This unique ethnic food ingredient has been associated with a past outbreak and multiple recalls in the United States. The findings of the study show the need to develop food safety educational programs that are tailored toward Asian restaurant food handlers and provide guidance to develop risk communication strategies for this niche audience.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X23068825Asian restaurantsDried wood ear mushroomsFood safety educationLow-moisture foodsRisk communication |
| spellingShingle | Han Chen Elma Kontor-Manu Haohui Zhu Gloria Cheng Yaohua Feng Evaluation of the Handling Practices and Risk Perceptions of Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms in Asian Restaurants in the United States Journal of Food Protection Asian restaurants Dried wood ear mushrooms Food safety education Low-moisture foods Risk communication |
| title | Evaluation of the Handling Practices and Risk Perceptions of Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms in Asian Restaurants in the United States |
| title_full | Evaluation of the Handling Practices and Risk Perceptions of Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms in Asian Restaurants in the United States |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of the Handling Practices and Risk Perceptions of Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms in Asian Restaurants in the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of the Handling Practices and Risk Perceptions of Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms in Asian Restaurants in the United States |
| title_short | Evaluation of the Handling Practices and Risk Perceptions of Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms in Asian Restaurants in the United States |
| title_sort | evaluation of the handling practices and risk perceptions of dried wood ear mushrooms in asian restaurants in the united states |
| topic | Asian restaurants Dried wood ear mushrooms Food safety education Low-moisture foods Risk communication |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X23068825 |
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