Data from: Estimating the prevalence of food risk increasing behaviours in UK kitchens

Foodborne disease poses a serious threat to public health. In the UK, half
a million cases are linked to known pathogens and more than half of all
outbreaks are associated with catering establishments. The UK Food
Standards Agency (FSA) has initiated the UK Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in
which commercial food establishments are inspected and scored with the
results made public. In this study we investigate the prevalence of food
risk increasing behaviours among chefs, catering students and the public.
Given the incentive for respondents to misreport when asked about illegal
or illicit behaviours we employed a Randomised Response Technique designed
to elicit more accurate prevalence rates of such behaviours. We found 14%
of the public not always hand-washing immediately after handling raw meat,
poultry or fish; 32% of chefs and catering students had worked within 48
hours of suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting. 22% of the public admitted
having served meat "on the turn" and 33% of chefs and catering
students admitted working in kitchens where such meat was served; 12% of
the public and 16% of chefs and catering students admitted having served
chicken at a barbeque when not totally sure it was fully cooked. Chefs in
fine-dining establishment were less likely to wash their hands after
handling meat and fish and those who worked in award winning restaurants
were more likely to have returned to work within 48 hours of suffering
from diarrhoea and vomiting. We found no correlation between the price of
a meal in an establishment, nor its Food Hygiene Rating Score, and the
likelihood of any of the food malpractices occurring.