Enhancing Food Safety and Infection Control in Mass Foodservice Operations: Implementing a Foodservice Provision...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Food Safety
• Infection Control

Background:

• Mass feeding environments, like athletes' dining halls, require stringent food safety and infection control to prevent illness.
• Inconsistent foodservice safety standards pose risks, particularly in crowded settings during major sporting events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and pilot-test the Foodservice Provision Audit Tool for Sport (FPAT-S) at major sports competitions.
• To evaluate compliance with food safety and infection control measures using the FPAT-S.
• To determine the inter-rater reliability of the FPAT-S.

Main Methods:

• The FPAT-S, comprising 19 questions (binary, multiple-choice, Likert scale), was tested by health professionals at two major sports events (2022 Canada Summer Games, 2023 Winter Games).
• Compliance trends and inter-rater reliability were analyzed using statistical methods.

Main Results:

• Hand sanitizer availability compliance exceeded 75% and improved over time.
• Staff sanitation compliance decreased by the end of the events, and physical distancing compliance remained below 50%.
• Binary questions showed moderate inter-rater agreement (κ=0.471) during the Summer phase, while scale/multiple-choice questions showed lower agreement.

Conclusions:

• The FPAT-S offers a structured method for evaluating food safety and infection control in mass foodservice settings.
• Refinement of the FPAT-S can aid dietitians and managers in maintaining compliance in various institutional settings.
• The tool can inform future public health infection control strategies beyond sporting events.