May/June 2023

May 17,2023

Food Safety Confidence Outpaces What People Really Know in the Kitchen Only Half of Consumers Know the Correct Internal Temperature for Chicken

Washington D.C. – Research twice, cook once, when considering your next homecooked meal according to new National Restaurant Association data showing a large gap between consumer trust in food safety training and their actual knowledge of best practices. The national online survey of 1,010 adults this month assessed practices and perceptions of safe food handling in the home and in restaurants. When it comes to restaurant dining, 94% of consumers have confidence that the food prepared is safe, and 98% say all employees in a restaurant should be properly trained in food safety. This confidence carries over to take-out, with another 93% saying they are very (41%) or somewhat confident (52%) that the

food is safe to eat. \“Food safety is paramount to the success of a restaurant, so it’s no surprise that consumers are confident that restaurants are properly training staff,” said Patrick Guzzle, VP of Food Science and Industry with the National Restaurant Association. “Foodservice workers are required to know tremendous amounts of information because, at the end of the day, they want to ensure the safety of their customers. For people at home, we hope this survey opens their eyes to important food safety practices.” When asked about cooking at home, only 14% of consumers feel confident they know recommended practices for the safe handling and preparation of food. For example, while 78% of adults

hospitality news / May/June P 30

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