Risk prioritization of household food handling practices in China: a fuzzy failure mode and effect analysis

Households represent a primary setting for foodborne diseases, where consumers' food handling practices play a critical role in the growth and transmission of pathogens, yet the risk prioritization of poor hygienic practices remains unclear. This study proposes a Fuzzy Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (Fuzzy-FMEA) approach that integrates fuzzy logic into the traditional FMEA framework to prioritize poor hygienic practices in Chinese households. The Fuzzy-FMEA considered three dimensions-occurrence (the proportion of consumers engaging in poor hygienic practices), severity (the extent to which the practice may lead to foodborne diseases), and detection (consumers' risk perception of poor hygienic practices)-to calculate the risk priority number, with higher values indicating greater priority levels. The occurrence score was estimated using a national food handling practices survey, whereas the severity and detection scores were assigned through structured expert elicitation based on Cooke's classical model. The results indicate that failure to use separate knives and cutting boards for raw and cooked foods ranked highest, suggesting cross-contamination may represent an important contributor to foodborne illness risk in Chinese households. In addition, insufficient reheating and improper food storage should also not be overlooked. By prioritizing potential failure modes, this approach demonstrates both methodological innovation and practical value in enhancing household food safety management, offering a framework that can be adapted and applied in other countries with similar contexts.