From Past to Present: The Evolution of Food Safety Culture and Current Research and Educational Needs in the Low-Moisture Food Industry

Historically, low-moisture foods were considered to have minimal microbial risks due to their inability to support the growth of microorganisms. However, many high-profile multistate outbreaks and recalls have drawn research and extension attention to low-moisture food safety. Contamination can occur at any stage in the supply chain, making food safety a shared responsibility among all actors from farm to fork. Fostering a positive food safety culture is essential for implementing food safety management systems, ensuring compliance, and driving the adoption of food safety-enhancing technologies, ultimately improving food safety performance across the industry. This dissertation explores the factors and best practices influencing cultural and managerial transformation in food safety and identifies challenges and needs in food safety training, education, and management, among various stakeholders in the low-moisture food industry. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on the California almond industry as a case study. Chapter 2 showcases the evolution of food safety management and culture in the almond industry following two major Salmonella outbreaks in the early 2000s, highlighting the role of repeated outbreaks and proactive industry leadership in driving the changes. It also examines the factors affecting the industry-wide adoption of food safety technologies. Chapter 3 evaluates current food safety training programs in almond processing facilities, detailing key advancements and barriers to effective training. Their user experiences with current food safety materials are also assessed to identify areas for improvement. Chapter 4 expands the assessment to the broader U.S. low-moisture food industry, investigating best practices and barriers in improving food safety culture, and assessing challenges and data gaps in continual food safety improvement. Moving further downstream in the supply chain, Chapter 5 shifts focus to retail food establishments, specifically Asian restaurants, exploring their handling practices of dried wood ear mushrooms, a culturally unique low-moisture food ingredient implicated in a multistate Salmonella outbreak in 2020 and multiple recalls. This chapter also uncovers the unique challenges to behavioral change within this niche audience, such as cultural practices and language barriers. Findings from these studies provide valuable insights into the dynamics and complexities of cultural transformation in the food system. They also inform the development and improvement of culturally tailored training and educational programs, and guide future research directions, continuously strengthening food safety culture and performance in the low-moisture food sector.