Assessing Food Safety Training Needs: Findings from TN Focus Groups

Although food safety training is important for the food services industry, there is limited information on the needs for hard-to-reach food service workers. The objectives of this paper are to - (1) identify food safety training issues facing hard-to-reach food service workers, and (2) analyze the opinions collected of participants in food safety focus groups. Data reported in this paper were collected using focus group meetings from selected counties in TN. Qualitative methodology was applied to data collected. Findings showed that food safety training should be offered on a continuous basis using materials that are easy to read, understand and implement. An effective food safety training program is needed to monitor employees to ensure compliance with established guidelines and procedures.