Food Traceability in School Foodservice Operations: Benefits and Challenges

Autor/inn/en	Boutros, Basem A.; Lin, Naiqing
Titel	Food Traceability in School Foodservice Operations: Benefits and Challenges
Quelle	In: Journal of Child Nutrition & Management, 43 (2019) 1, (13 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1559-5676
Schlagwörter	Nutrition; Food Service; School Personnel; Factor Analysis; School Districts; Safety; Prevention; Terrorism; Costs; Vendors; Barriers; Budgets; Information Systems; Recordkeeping; Risk; Educational Environment; Online Surveys + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ernährung; Schulpersonal; Faktorenanalyse; School district; Schulbezirk; Sicherheit; Prävention; Vorbeugung; Terrorismus; Cost; Kosten; Vendor; Anbieter; Finanzhaushalt; Leistungsnachweis; Risiko; Lernumgebung; Pädagogische Umwelt; Schulumwelt
Abstract	Purpose/Objectives: This study explored food traceability systems in school foodservice in the United States and the potential benefits and challenges to their implementation. Methods: An online questionnaire was developed and used to collect data. A mixed-mode approach was followed to recruit the participants. A convenience sample of 500 school nutrition professionals from Qualtrics® panel was targeted for data collection with the goal of having responses from 300 participants. Due to low response rate from the initial panel, the contact information of a second convenience sample of 200 child nutrition professionals with no geographic representation was obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics database. The individuals were invited to participate by email with a link to the questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics were computed to screen and summarize the data. Factor analysis was performed to categorize and identify potential benefits of, and challenges to implementing food traceability systems in school foodservice. Results: A total of 427 respondents accessed the questionnaire. Only 124 completed questionnaires were retained for a response rate of 24.8%. The findings showed that traceability systems in the investigated districts involve either paper-based or manually entered data systems. The top identified benefits of implementing food traceability systems were supporting food safety, preventing bioterrorism, and cost reduction. Among the top reported challenges to implementing food traceability systems were the unexpected substitution of food by vendors and high cost of implementing advanced traceability systems. Applications to Child Nutrition Professionals: The results of the study suggested that school nutrition authorities need to continue to document and track their food supplies to ensure food safety in all stages of production, processing, and service in their districts. School foodservice operations are also encouraged to implement a traceability system that is compatible with the food products, the production process, and budget in order to respond effectively to food-related incidents and protect safety of food served. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	School Nutrition Association. 120 Waterfront Street Suite 300, National Harbor, MD 20745. Tel: 301-686-3100; Fax: 301-686-3115; e-mail: servicecenter@schoolnutrition.org; Web site: http://schoolnutrition.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01