Food borne disease continues to be a significant public health concern. The increasing awareness of food borne illness intensifies the need for proper food safety education among food handlers. The objectives of this study were to develop bilingual (English/Spanish) food safety signs, to determine their comprehensibility and most effective delivery mechanism for presentation to food handlers. The food safety concepts developed into images were: cross-contamination, proper use of thermometer to check temperatures of foods, proper cooling of foods, and do not work with food if ill. The four food safety concepts were designed into three different formats: pictures and words (English/Spanish), pictures only, and lenticular (images that shift when viewed from different angles). The food safety signs were evaluated using forty-five individuals working in the food retail industry. The participants were divided into two groups according to native language (English/ Spanish). For comprehensibility of the food safety signs, 69% responses were noted as correct. The ranking of comprehensibility of the signs was: cross-contamination (93%), thermometer (84%), cooling (64%) and not working if ill (33%). A gap in the understanding of the two lowest scoring food safety concepts (cooling and ill) calls for food safety educational programs and materials that emphasize these concepts. Correct responses for sign presentation were as follows: pictures and words with (80%), pictures only (65%) and lenticular (62%). Comparison of three different formats indicated pictures with words as the most effective presentation. The results obtained can be used as the basics for designing effective food signage for food handlers. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

Grocery store associates in the deli-bakery departments serve and prepare an increasing amount of ready-to-eat foods. This increases the need for a detailed, effective food safety training program in retail grocery establishments to prevent food borne illness. This research examines food safety knowledge, training preferences, needs, and current practices of grocery stores deli-bakery employees in Southwest and Southern Virginia. This research had two phases. Phase I: employees completed a thirty-four question needs assessment survey concerning background, food safety training needs, preferences and knowledge. Phase 2: 15 employees (from phase 1 locations) food behaviors were observed for approximately six hours each (89.05 hours total). Observational data collection focused on glove use, cross-contamination, and hand washing. The results showed that most grocery food handlers desired hands-on, interactive and one-on-one training that occurs frequently, but is short: less than two hours in length. Overall, most grocery food handlers had general safe food handling knowledge; however, the observational behavior data indicates behaviors do not reflect their knowledge. Greater than 95% understanding was found on the subjects of hand washing and glove use; however, these items were observed practiced incorrectly the most with bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods and lack of hand washing prior to glove use. The creation of short, hands-on or interactive trainings for retail grocery food handlers that focuses on changing food handling and preparation behaviors may be more effective than current training. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

This study examined how case attributes impact plaintiff success and payouts in jury settled foodborne illness (FBI) lawsuits. Given the risk to firms in terms of potentially large payouts, future litigation, and lost reputation, the results may provide economic incentives for food firms and others in the supply chain to produce safer and better quality foods. Legal databases were systematically searched to identify cases of FBI, which were resolved through the U.S. court system. Reviewing the outcomes of 511 FBI jury trials between 1979 and 2014, plaintiffs won 34.8% of cases, and received a median award of $32,264. The Heckman two-step estimation procedure was used to examine the effects of various factors on plaintiff success rates and subsequent amounts awarded. Plaintiff chances of victory increased if lawsuits involved a child, foodborne pathogen was identified and pain and suffering was claimed, and decreased if defendants used of one or more expert witnesses or had 'deep pockets'. Cases involving a child, chronic complications, or defendants with 'deep pockets' resulted in higher awards. Corporate and policy implications of these findings are considered. / Master of Science

Campylobacter jejuni is microaerophilic pathogen and is one of the leading causes of acute diarrhea in the United States. Despite being a microaerophilic pathogen, C. jejuni continues to endure within the domain of food production, especially in poultry processing. In this study, we evaluated the aerotolerance, biofilm forming abilities, and genetic diversity of C. jejuni isolates previously obtained from commercial broiler processing plants. Out of 40 isolates, 25 (62.5%) were aero–sensitive (AS), 10 (25%) were intermediately aerotolerant (IAT), and 5 (12.5%) were hyper aerotolerant (HAT). The isolates belonged to four clonal complexes (CCs) and six sequence types, with the majority of isolates assigned to the CC–353 clonal complexes. Furthermore, the biofilm forming abilities of 12 field C. jejuni isolate on stainless-steel coupons were measured using a crystal violet assay by measuring the optical density (OD600) and viable cell count was enumerated using direct plating. A notable interaction between aerotolerance categories and temperature (P < 0.039) impacting the number of biofilm-attached C. jejuni cells on stainless steel coupons. All isolates had greater counts when incubated at 42ºC compared to room temperature, regardless of oxygen level (P < 0.001). Furthermore, stronger biofilm density was observed at 42°C compared to room temperature, regardless of oxygen level. Eight C. jejuni strains including 3 AS, 3 IAT, and 2 HAT were used to understand the genomic characterization that underlies aerotolerance and biofilm formation in C. jejuni using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Genes associated with aerotolerance, and biofilms were present in all eight isolates despite the phenotypic differences. The virulence genes associated with Type VI secretion system (T6SS) and VAS effector proteins were unique in aerotolerant isolates. Antimicrobial resistance markers related to antibiotic efflux pumps, beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones, tetracycline, aminoglycosides, and streptothricin were identified. In conclusion, this study elucidates the diverse aerotolerance profiles and genetic characteristics of C. jejuni isolates from poultry processing plants, shedding light on their ability to persist despite environmental stresses. Additionally, the biofilm forming ability at different temperatures emphasizes the importance of targeted interventions to mitigate its impact on food safety.

The topic of this thesis is Food Law in the Czech Republic and Abroad. The purpose of the thesis is to introduce food law of the Czech Republic and England, with an emphasis on EU food law. As this field is very broad, only basic attributes and some interesting parts and issues of food law may be covered. The thesis is divided into seven chapters. In the first chapter relevant legal sources are introduced. Food law is regulated by many rules. Generally, these sources may be divided into primary and secondary legislation both at national and EU level. Furthermore, some important international aspects of food law are laid down as well. The second chapter simply is to present legal definitions of essential terms within the scope of Czech and EU law. The third chapter is crucial one for following chapters as it establishes most of general principles in environmental law as well as principles specifically applicable in the field of food law. It is often referred to these principles later in the thesis. Furthermore, this chapter also contains an introduction of the European Safety Food Authority and the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed as well as many ways of national control of food safety. Next chapter deals with food labelling and packaging. It is described which legal conditions have to be...

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and practices of food service staff regarding food safety and food hygiene in Capricorn District hospitals, Limpopo Province. Quantitative, cross-sectional research was conducted to determine the knowledge and practices of food service staff. A convenient sampling technique was employed to select 84 food service staff members (11 food service supervisor and 73 food service aids). Data collection was done using structured questionnaires. Food service staff members consisting of food service aids and food service supervisors participated in the study. The data were analysed using the statistical package for social sciences version 23. Of the respondents 50 (60%) are female whereas 34 (40%) are males. The largest group of them, 34 (40%) had secondary education, 23 (27%) had matric whereas 16 (19%) had post matric qualifications. 80 (95%) of them answered correctly that they use an air dryer or paper towel for drying hands after washing whereas 65 (77%) answered incorrectly when asked the difference between washing and sanitizing. Seventy eight of the respondents answered correctly on practice questionnaire that they only reheat leftovers once whereas 69 (82%) answered incorrectly about the temperature one should maintain for potentially hazardous food that has been cooked and needs to be reheated. In this study a significant correlation was observed between level of education and knowledge, with p-value 0.016 and again between level of education and practices (p-value 0.024), also between work activity and practice (p-value 0.021). There was significant difference between knowledge level and practice with p-value 0.045. The result of the study suggest that although most food service staff are knowledgeable regarding some aspects of food hygiene and food safety significant gaps remains in food safety practices, posing risk to hospitalised patients who are already vulnerable. There is a need for training in areas were food service staff are lacking knowledge.

<p>  </p> <p>Food safety educators and specialists are committed to closing the food safety education gap among different actors in the supply chain, from farm to fork. To accomplish it, they have to understand the needs of the target population to disseminate information and develop interventions. This thesis is divided into three case studies to explore needs assessments (Ch. 1 and 2) and program evaluation (Ch. 3). The first needs assessment (Ch.1) was developed due to a recent multistate outbreak linked to dried wood ear mushrooms. This study evaluated YouTube video content on the preparation of different wood ear mushrooms dishes and investigated the food safety risk associated with the handling practices. Practices such as rehydration procedures were identified as key food safety risk factors that need future exploration. The second needs assessment (Ch.2) was developed due to the impact of small- and medium-sized farms on USA agriculture. This study aimed to understand consumers’ perceptions and expectations of produce from small- and medium-sized farms and their desire to pay a premium price for food safety information. The findings showed that consumers perceived the produce from these farms to be fresher and of higher quality. Also, they considered food safety as a minimum quality standard and valued produce safety information. Finally, multiple needs assessments have shown that low-income populations, including minority groups, have unique barriers to adopting food safety practices. The third study (Ch.3) evaluated a dialogue-based virtual food safety program for English- and Spanish-speaking low-income populations using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Findings suggest that the TPB helped to discern the behavior change intentions of this population and showed that the intervention was able to increase participants’ knowledge, attitudes toward the behavior, perceived behavioral control (PBC), subjective norms, and behavior change intentions. Future work could modify the program to fit other minority populations in the USA.</p>

<p>Unsafe food is responsible for causing more than 600 million cases of foodborne illnesses and 420,000 deaths each year. These foodborne illnesses have direct impact on growth and development in children, food and nutrition security, national economies, and sustainable development. Food manufactures, research institutions, governments, and consumers, together, play a pivotal role in establishing and implementing effective food safety systems. <em>Salmonella</em> spp. and <em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> are recognized as major threats to global food safety and security among other 31 known and unknown pathogens associated with foodborne illnesses and deaths. Since these pathogens can be transmitted through contaminated food and water, contaminated environmental surfaces, and subsequently from environment to food via cross-contamination, there is an urgent need for data-driven approaches to identify key points of contamination along the food systems to suggest interventions. While it is important to enhance food safety research in developed economies, developing capacity to enable conditions for food safety research translation and practice in developing economies is crucial for global food safety. In this dissertation, we presented three different research projects as summarized below-</p> <p>In Chapter 2 “Evaluating the efficacy of celery powder in ready-to-eat deli style turkey breast against <em>L. monocytogenes</em> under ideal and temperature abuse conditions”. In this study, we artificially inoculated “clean label” deli style turkey breast formulated with celery powder to evaluate the efficacy of this natural antimicrobial in inhibiting the growth of this pathogen. We stored the inoculated samples at ideal (4 °C) and abuse temperature conditions (7 °C, 10 °C, and 15 °C) for 21 d mimicking the possible temperature abuse along the cold chain, transportation, and at consumer refrigerator. Our findings indicated that although deli meat samples stored at 4 °C and 7 °C did not achieve significant growth of <em>L. monocytogenes;</em> increasing temperatures to 10 °C and 15 °C led to significant increase in the growth rate of this pathogen. This study evaluates the use and effectiveness of celery powder as an antimicrobial used by deli meat processors against <em>L. monocytogenes</em> in deli products. These data underscore the importance of maintaining refrigeration temperatures to complement the efficacy of antimicrobials. </p> <p>Chapter 3 “Investigating sanitary solutions to <em>L. monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica</em> ser. Typhimurium, and <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> dry surface biofilms”. In this study, we developed <em>in vitro</em> mono- and mix-culture dry surface biofilm (DSB) models of <em>L. monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica</em> ser. Typhimurium, and <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> leveraging the EPA MLB SOP MB-19 standard protocol using the CDC Biofilm Reactor and evaluated sanitation control strategies currently adopted by low-moisture food (LMF) food processors to determine their ability to inactive DSB, a decidedly difficult reservoir to eliminate. This study targets multiple biological hazards in a research area with very limited publicly available data and is the first of its kind to refine mono- and multi-species <em>in vitro</em> DSB models that mimic LMF facility conditions and combinations of relevant microorganisms for use cases (e.g., EPA adoption). The findings from this study indicated that these foodborne pathogens could form DSBs and serve as a source of pathogen reservoir and cross-contamination. Results from the efficacy testing of sanitizer and microfiber swabbing suggested that current sanitation practices may not be sufficient to remove or inactivate DSBs. This study will define future needs and new strategies to improve confidence in sanitation efficacy with private sector practitioners.</p> <p>Chapter 4 “Enhancing research for development opportunities for Minority Serving Institutions: a case study in food safety”. Most developing economies have limited viable food safety systems due to underdeveloped research capabilities, competing resource demands, and insufficient enabling conditions, which undermines food security. United States Minority Serving Institution (MSIs) researchers and outreach specialists are familiar with and arguably best positioned to address global food safety and security challenges and needs, but MSIs implement limited research for development programs (e.g., U.S. university-led Feed the Future (FTF) Innovation Labs (ILs) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)) aimed to solve these challenges. Recognizing this opportunity, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety (FSIL) led by Purdue University in partnership with Cornell University, created and implemented an MSI-led research partnerships for global food safety research programs. In this chapter, we put together the process of a three-stage Request for Applications (RFA) process, which included non-competitive and competitive stages to encourage partnership and to refine ideas.  At the end of this process, seven individuals were invited to submit full proposals; two were funded. Intentional research opportunities and partnerships are essential to strengthen MSI competitiveness for research for development programs that develop and scale technologies to address urgent global agriculture, food security, and safety challenges.</p>

Este estudo teve como objetivo o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta para avaliar estruturas físicas, leiaute e materiais de construção de cozinhas industriais. Na primeira etapa do trabalho, diversas legislações sanitárias e documentos técnicos foram avaliados, a fim de identificar itens pertinentes à construção da ferramenta. Com base nisso, foram elaboradas 196 perguntas, divididas em 24 itens, as quais compuseram a ferramenta de avaliação de estruturas (check-list). O check-list foi encaminhado para especialistas da área de segurança de alimentos, para que estes verificassem a adequação das perguntas e conferissem pesos para cada uma delas, conforme a possibilidade na contaminação e o impacto na segurança dos alimentos. O peso 1 (um) foi atribuído aos itens da estrutura física das cozinhas, que poderiam causar impacto na segurança de alimentos, porém que dificilmente resultariam em contaminação dos alimentos ou causariam surtos alimentares, como, por exemplo, as áreas externas, portas externas e fechamento automático de portas de sanitários. O peso 2 (dois) foi atribuído às perguntas sobre a estrutura física da cozinha que poderiam causar contaminação indireta nos alimentos, exemplos: portas internas ajustadas aos pisos e batentes, caixas de gordura e de esgoto compatíveis ao volume de resíduos, entre outros. O peso 4 (quatro) foi atribuído às questões sobre a estrutura física das cozinhas que poderiam causar contaminação direta aos alimentos, como, por exemplo, estrutura dos telhados e tetos, áreas de produção com fluxo linear, entre outras Após a revisão do check-list, foram retiradas as perguntas que não foram consideradas pertinentes ao setor de alimentação e então foi calculado um peso médio para cada pergunta, tendo como base os pesos atribuídos por cada avaliador. A versão final do check-list resultou em 23 itens, compostos por 126 perguntas. Na segunda etapa do trabalho, foi realizada a utilização prática do check-list com o objetivo de testar a aplicação da ferramenta de avaliação e identificar os problemas mais frequentes na construção civil de cozinhas industriais. Para tanto, as cozinhas industriais existentes na região metropolitana de Porto Alegre/RS (RMPA) foram consideradas e identificadas como o universo da pesquisa, possibilitando a visita a um número significativo de cozinhas industriais. O número de cozinhas identificado na RMPA foi de 248 unidades, das quais 52 foram visitadas. Para avaliar cada unidade visitada com relação à adequação sanitária de suas instalações, foi elaborado o Índice Sanitário de Edificações (ISE). O ISE é uma média harmônica ponderada dos itens aplicáveis, a qual leva em consideração os pesos conferidos a cada pergunta e se o item foi conforme ou não. As respostas do check-list foram analisadas no Microsoft Excel 2010 e a análise estatística foi realizada no programa IBM® SPSS® STATISTICS versão 18.0, adotando o nível de significância de 5% As principais não conformidades observadas foram infiltrações, goteiras, tubulações sem capacidade para vazão adequada, pias e sifões entupidos, pouca quantidade de ralos, caimento dos pisos, caixa de gordura, pouca luminosidade, ventilação e conforto térmico. Do total de unidades avaliadas, 1 (2%) apresentou índice de adequação excelente, 14 (27%) índice de adequação bom, 32 (61%) índice de adequação médio e 5 (10%) índice de adequação ruim. Além do índice de adequação ao check-list, foi calculado um índice de adequação aos itens requeridos por legislação. O volume de empresas que apresentaram índices entre os níveis de adequação excelente e bom aumentou quando comparado ao índice de adequação ao chek-list, passando para 4 (8%) com índice excelente, 27 (51%) com índice bom, 20 (39%) com índice médio e 1 (2%) com índice ruim. Os resultados indicam que as cozinhas industriais apresentaram inadequações em suas instalações, já que em sua maioria apresentaram índices medianos ou inferiores de adequação aos itens da legislação e ao ISE. Cozinhas com estas falhas nas instalações podem ter prejudicadas suas condições higiênico- sanitárias do processo, trazendo riscos potenciais para a produção de alimentos. Com a identificação dos problemas nas edificações e leiutes, pôde- se indicar soluções para contribuir na gestão de segurança dos alimentos em serviços de alimentação, prevenindo a contaminação de alimentos. / This study aimed to develop a tool to evaluate physical structures, layout and materials of industrial kitchens. In the first stage of the work, several sanitary legislations and technical documents were evaluated in order to identify items pertinent to the construction of the tool. Based on this, check-list tool were elaborated containing196 questions, divided into 24 items. The checklist was assessed to food safety experts to verify the appropriateness of the questions and to check weights for each one, depending on the possibility of contamination and impact on food safety. Weight 1 (one) was attributed to the items in the kitchen's physical structure, which could impact on food safety, but would hardly result in contamination of food or food outbreaks, such as external areas, external doors and automatic door closing of toilets. Weight 2 (two) was attributed to the questions about the physical structure of the kitchen that could cause indirect contamination in the food, some examples: internal doors adjusted to the floors and stops, fat and sewage boxes compatible with the volume of waste. Weight 4 (four) was attributed to questions about the physical structure of the kitchen that could cause direct contamination of food, such as the structure of roofs and ceilings, production areas with linear flow. After reviewing the checklist, the questions that were not considered pertinent to the food sector were removed, and then an average weight was calculated for each question, based on the weights assigned by each evaluator The final version of the checklist resulted in 23 items consisting of 126 questions. In the second stage of the work, the practical check-list was used, with the objective of testing the application of the evaluation tool and identifying the most frequent problems in the civil construction of industrial kitchens. To this end, the industrial kitchens in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre / RS (RMPA) were considered and identified as the research universe, allowing the visit of a significant number of industrial kitchens. The number of kitchens identified in the RMPA was 248 units, of which 52 were visited. To evaluate each unit visited in relation to the sanitary adequacy of its facilities, the Sanitary Building Index (ISE) was elaborated. The ISE is a weighted harmonic mean of the applicable items, which takes into account the weights given to each question and whether or not the item was compliant. The checklist responses were analyzed in Microsoft Excel 2010 and statistical analyzes were performed using the IBM® SPSS® STATISTICS version 18.0 program, adopting the 5% significance level. The main nonconformities observed were infiltrations, gutters, pipes with no adequate flow capacity, clogged sinks and siphons, few drains, floor trim, grease box, low luminosity, ventilation and thermal comfort Of the total number of units evaluated, 1 (2%) presented an excellent suitability index, 14 (27%) were adequately matched, 32 (61%) were adequately matched, and 5 were considered adequately matched. In addition to the index of adequacy to the checklist, an index of adequacy to the items required by legislation was calculated. The volume of companies that presented excellent and good levels of adequacy increased when compared to the index of adequacy to the former chek-list, passing to 4 (8%) with excellent index, 27 (51%) with good index, 20 (39 %) with average index and 1 (2%) with poor index. The results indicate that the industrial kitchens presented inadequacies in their facilities, since in their majority they presented medium or inferior indexes of adequacy to the items of the legislation and the ISE. Kitchens with these facility failures may have impaired their hygienic-sanitary conditions of the process, bringing potential risks to food production. With the identification of problems in buildings and law, it was possible to indicate solutions to contribute to the management of food safety in food services, preventing the contamination of food.

New Zealand faces a range of food safety hazards. Microbial hazards alone were estimated to cause over 2,000 years of lost healthy life in 2011 (Cressey, 2012) and $62m in medical costs and lost productivity in 2009 (Gadiel & Abelson, 2010). Chemical hazards are thought to be well managed through existing controls (Vannoort & Thomson, 2009) whereas microbial hazards are considered harder to control, primarily due to their ability to reproduce along the food production chain. Microbial hazards are thought to cause the majority of acute foodborne gastroenteritis. This research reviewed food safety literature and official documentation, and conducted 55 interviews, mostly with food safety experts from different stakeholder groups, to examine the food safety decision-making environment in New Zealand. This research explores the concept of the ‘stakeholder’ in the context of food safety decision-making and proposes an inclusive ‘stakeholder’ definition as any group which is able to affect, or be affected by, the decision-making process. Utilising this definition, and guided by interviews, New Zealand stakeholders in food safety decision-making were identified and classified as follows: •Regulators •Public health authorities •Food safety scientists/academics •Consumers •Māori •Food Businesses (further classified as): o Farmers o Processors o Food retailers o Exporters Interviews with stakeholders from these groups highlighted twelve criteria as being relevant to multiple groups during food safety intervention evaluation: •Effectiveness •Financial cost •Market Access •Consumer Perceptions •Ease of Implementation •Quality or Suitability •Quality of Science •Equity of Costs •Equity of Benefits •Workplace Safety •Cultural Impact •Animal Welfare There are a number of different ways to measure or assess performance on these criteria. Some are able to be quantitatively measured, while others may require the use of value judgements. This thesis used the Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) metric for quantifying effectiveness during the testing of different MCDA models. This thesis reviews the MCDA process and the food safety specific MCDA literature. There are different ways of conducting MCDA. In particular, there are a large number of models available for the aggregation phase; the process of converting model inputs, in the form of criteria scores and weights, into model recommendations. This thesis has described and reviewed the main classes of model. The literature review and interview process guided the construction and testing of three classes of MCDA model; the Weighted Sum, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and PROMETHEE models. These models were selected due to their having different characteristics and degrees of complexity, as well as their popularity in the food safety and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) literature. Models were tested on the problem of selecting the most appropriate intervention to address the historic Campylobacter in poultry problem in New Zealand during the mid-2000s. Experimentation was conducted on these models to explore how different configurations utilise data and produce model outputs. This experimentation included: •Varying the format of input data •Exploring the effects of including/excluding criteria •Methods for sensitivity analysis •Exploring how data inputs and outputs can be elicited and presented using visual tools • Creating and using hybrid MCDA models The results of this testing are a key output of this thesis and provide insight into how such models might be used in food safety decision-making. The conclusions reached throughout this research phase can be classified into one of two broad groups: •Those relating to MCDA as a holistic process/methodology for decision-making •Those relating to the specific models and mathematical procedures for generating numerical inputs and outputs This thesis demonstrates that food-safety decision-making is a true multi-criteria, multi-stakeholder problem. The different stakeholders in food-safety decision-making do not always agree on the value and importance of the attributes used to evaluate competing intervention schemes. MCDA is well suited to cope with such complexity as it provides a structured methodology for the systematic and explicit identification, recording and aggregation of qualitative and quantitative information, gathered from a number of different sources, with the output able to serve as a basis for decision-making. The MCDA models studied in this thesis range from models that are simple and quick to construct and use, to more time consuming models with sophisticated algorithms. The type of model used for MCDA, the way these models are configured and the way inputs are generated or elicited can have a significant impact on the results of an analysis. This thesis has identified a number of key methodological considerations for those looking to employ one of the many available MCDA models. These considerations include: •Whether a model can accommodate the type and format of input data •The desired degree of compensation between criteria (i.e. full, partial or no compensation) •Whether the goal of an analysis is the identification of a ‘best’ option(s), or the facilitation of discussion, and communication of data •The degree of transparency required from a model and whether an easily understood audit trail is desired/required •The desired output of a model (e.g. complete or partial ranking). This thesis has also identified a number of practical considerations when selecting which model to use in food safety decision-making. These include: •The amount of time and energy required of stakeholders in the generation of data inputs (elicitation burden) •The degree of training required for participants •How data inputs are to be elicited and aggregated in different group decision-making environments •The availability of MCDA software for assisting an analysis Considering the above points will assist users in selecting a suitable MCDA model that meets their requirements and constraints. This thesis provides original and practical knowledge to assist groups or individuals looking to employ MCDA in the context of food-safety intervention decision-making. This research could also serve as a guide for those looking to evaluate a different selection of MCDA models.