Food Safety Exam Phrasing for Food Service Employees.

In many jurisdictions, foodservice workers are required to obtain food handler certification via written examination before being able to work. This study investigated the effect of the readability, or the ease in which one can read and comprehend written text, of food handler exam questions on exam performance. It was hypothesized that the reduction in cognitive load by improving the readability of exam questions would lead to improved scores.

Manipulating plasma thyroid hormone levels alters development of endothermy and ventilation in nestling red-winged blackbirds.

Thyroid hormones are key regulators of development and metabolism in vertebrates. During the nestling period, young of altricial species transition from an ectothermic phenotype to an endothermic phenotype. Red-winged blackbirds are an altricial species that exhibit an increase in plasma 3,3', 5-triiodo-L-thyronine (T) levels during the first 5 days post-hatch (dph), begin to develop endothermic metabolic responses by 7 dph, and fledge within 10 days of hatching.

Comparative microbial analyses of hydroponic versus in-soil grown Romaine lettuce obtained at retail.

The overarching goal of this study was to assess the microbiological profile of hydroponically grown Romaine lettuce and in-soil Romaine lettuce (organic and conventional). Thirty-six samples of hydroponic lettuce, seventy-two samples organic lettuce (thirty-six bagged lettuce and thirty-six non-bagged lettuce), and thirty-six conventionally grown lettuce was purchased from retail stores. A portion of each sample was analyzed for aerobic bacteria (APC), coliforms and , and yeasts and molds (YM).

Consumers' Knowledge and Handling Practices Associated with Fresh-Cut Produce in the United States.

Previous studies have shown that three factors influence fresh-cut produce safety from farm to fork: (1) post-harvest practices in processing facilities, (2) employees' handling practices in retail facilities, and (3) consumers' handling practices in domestic kitchens or cooking facilities. However, few studies have examined consumers' food safety knowledge, risk perceptions, and their handling practices associated with fresh-cut produce. To fill this gap, the present study conducted a nationwide survey to assess U.

Safety and Quality of Romaine Lettuce Accessible to Low Socioeconomic Populations Living in Houston, TX.

Abstract: Previous empirical evidence has demonstrated that low-socioeconomic status (SES) communities have higher rates of gastroenteritis; however, there is a paucity of literature on the safety and quality of food (fresh produce) accessible to these communities. The overarching goal of this study was to investigate the microbial safety and quality of romaine lettuce from low- and high-SES neighborhoods in the Houston, TX, area. Loose-leaf romaine lettuce was purchased from low- and high-SES neighborhood retailers, and aerobic plate count, coliform, Escherichia coli, yeast, and mold assays were conducted.