Rutgers Study Finds Food Safety Confusion

A study by Rutgers University Food Policy Institute found that many U.S. consumers were aware of the September 2006 advisory regarding possible contamination of spinach, but there was confusion about which products were affected and when the recall was over.

The study surveyed 1,200 U.S. consumers about their spinach eating habits before, during and after the recall. Their awareness about the recall and their interest in it were measured, as well as where consumers got their information.
Some of the key findings were:

• Consumers were unsure of what products were recalled. Nearly all correctly identified bagged spinach, but more than two-thirds said fresh loose spinach was recalled.

• 44 percent thought that washing contaminated spinach would make it safe to eat.

• The respondents could not correctly identify the symptoms of E. coli infection.

• Almost 20 percent stopped buying other bagged products based on the recall announcement.

• More than one in ten respondents thought the recall was still in effect two months after it was initiated.

For more information or to read the report, go to the Rutgers Food Policy Institute Web site at www.foodpolicyinstitute.org.