The restaurant industry is a highly customer-driven field. Therefore, it is imperative that restaurateurs consider customer expectations with regard to restaurant menus. The purpose of this experimental study is to examine the effects of menu format (i.e., paper or digital) and amount of nutritional information (i.e., extensive, brief, or none) on customer perceptions of the effectiveness, perceived ease of use, and information quality of the menu. Furthermore, this research intends to test the effect of these three menu attributes on the outcomes of value and satisfaction in order to assess the competitive advantage of one format over the other. The Cognitive Appraisal and Information Processing Theories provide structure to the proposed conceptual framework and give credence to the findings. This study also fills gaps in the present research by not only ameliorating weaknesses of extant studies, but also by examining several different aspects of restaurant menus simultaneously within a single study.

Objective. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the COVID-19-related waivers and the number of Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) meals served, accessibility of SFSP sites, and implementation of the SFSP sponsored by the Office of Food and Nutrition Service (OFNS) of the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE). Methods. This study is a convergent parallel mixed methods study. In the quantitative component, there are two research questions (“research question 1” and “research question 2”); the design is a non-experimental, one-group, completely within-subjects design; and the unit of analysis is NYC DOE geographic districts (n = 32). Research question 1 is “Among NYC DOE geographic districts, was there a significant difference in the number of SFSP meals served during the summers when the COVID-19-related waivers were used compared to the summers without the waivers?” Research question 2 is “Among NYC DOE geographic districts, was there a significant difference in the accessibility of SFSP sites during the summers when the COVID-19-related waivers were used compared to the summers without the waivers?” Both research questions 1 and 2 compare the first summer of the waivers (2020) to the six summers prior to the waivers (2014-2019) and the second summer of the waivers (2021) to the six summers prior to the waivers (2014-2019). In the qualitative component, there is one research question (“research question 3”); the methods consist of a document analysis of the policy memos for the waivers (n = 8) using the READ approach for document analysis of health policies. Research question 3 is “What were the intended relationships between the COVID-19-related waivers and SFSP participation, site accessibility, and implementation according to the policy memos for the waivers?” Data Analysis. For research question 1, the statistical tests are the repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) omnibus test and post-hoc analysis with Bonferroni adjustment. The primary outcome is the total number of SFSP meals served per student. For research question 2, the statistical tests are the repeated-measures ANOVA omnibus test and post-hoc analysis with the Bonferroni adjustment when the full sample is analyzed (n = 32), and the Friedman test and sign test with the Bonferroni adjustment when high poverty districts (n = 16), high non-White districts (n = 16), and high enrollment districts (n = 16) are analyzed. The primary outcome is the number of SFSP sites per 1,000 students. For research question 3, the analysis consists of deductive coding, inductive coding, and identification of themes. Results. For research question 1, the results show a significant increase in the number of SFSP meals served per student during the first summer of the waivers compared to summers 2016-2019 (p ≤ 0.01). However, there were no significant differences in the number of SFSP meals served per student during the second summer of the waivers compared to summers 2014-2019. Among the secondary outcomes, there was a significant increase in the number of breakfast meals served in August per student during both the first and second summer of the waivers compared to summers 2014-2019 (p < 0.05). For research question 2, the results show a significant decrease in the number of SFSP sites per 1,000 students during the first summer of the waivers compared to summers 2014-2019 (p < 0.01). Similarly, there was a significant decrease during the second summer of the waivers compared to summers 2015-2019 (p < 0.01). For research question 3, the results show that the Meal Service Time Flexibility Waiver may address pre-pandemic barriers in the SFSP, but the Parent/Guardian Meal Pickup Waiver may cause implementation issues. Conclusions. Among NYC DOE geographic districts, the waivers may increase the reach of breakfast meals served in August while decreasing the number of SFSP sites and making SFSP implementation easier. There is a need for a pilot study or more controlled study to establish causal relationships. Policymakers should consider making the Meal Service Time Flexibility Waiver and the Non-Congregate Feeding Waiver permanent flexibilities for summer meal programs.

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The problem of this thesis consists primarily of a bacteriological survey of the eating utensils of Hardin College Cafeteria and twenty-five other eating establishments in the city of Wichita Falls, Texas. This investigation was made primarily with reference to a determination of the possible presence of typhoid and related organisms, and secondarily to an investigation of the actual presence of those bacterial organisms associated with the more common outbreaks of food poisoning.

Thesis (M. Tech. Environmental health) -- Central University of technology, Free State, 2011 / Millions of people in South Africa eat out every day, utilising the food service sector. Although the lack of an effective reporting system makes it difficult to know how many of these people suffer from food-borne illness, statistics from the developed countries show that this number may be significant. There is, therefore, the need to ensure that the food service sector, which encompasses fast food outlets, hotels and similar accommodation outlets offering food and beverage services, restaurants, caterers, etc., implement effective food safety management systems. Internationally, the trend has been that food safety management systems should be based on the internationally accepted Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. In South Africa, the implementation of HACCP as a food safety management system has been driven by international trade requirements where foods are exported to countries such as the European Union or the United States of America. A national regulation requiring HACCP implementation was promulgated in 2003, but compliance is not yet required for the food service sector. Currently, neither of the above mentioned factors put adequate pressure on the food service sector to implement formal food safety management systems. However, increasing international tourism and the hosting of international sporting events has brought this sector under scrutiny. Food handlers have been implicated in many outbreaks of food-borne illness and much research has been done to investigate causal factors in this regard. Food handler training has been proposed as a strategy to improve food safety practices. However, research has shown that the traditional provision of food safety and food hygiene knowledge does not equate to improved food safety behaviours. Some authors postulate that the organisational context, created largely by the management of an organisation, is of greater significance than training. Less research is available on these management factors – defined as the situational factors when discussing organisational culture, or defined as enabling and reinforcing factors when discussing food handler behaviour. This study commenced with the hypothesis that food handlers are not able to implement the correct food safety behaviours in the absence of sufficient management support. This support would require appropriate policies regarding food safety, the provision of training and infrastructure and enforcing the correct behaviours by line management, as a minimum. The aim of this study was to investigate and assess the role of line management in relation to food safety at a prominent South African entertainment facility. In order to achieve this, the following objectives were defined for the study: to conduct a qualitative assessment of the role of management in food safety, to assess the role of management in the provision of food safety training and to assess the role of management in the provision of a basic hygiene infrastructure at the study site in order to allow food handlers to carry out the correct behaviours. The objective of conducting a qualitative study of management practices, policies and resource provision with respect to food safety revealed that there was no formal evidence of management commitment to food safety other than the recent provision of food handler training. The findings also indicated a lack of a formal management system for food safety at the study site. In the exploratory survey of food safety training and knowledge, results showed that only 60 % of staff in the survey had received training. This indicates that at the time of the survey, the study site did not fully comply with the minimum legal requirements for food handler training. The results of the employee survey further indicated that employees were aware of the importance of hand washing although it was not possible to determine whether this knowledge was as a result of the training intervention or prior knowledge. Many of the supervisors were not yet trained in food safety and the impact of the food safety training intervention on related behaviours at the site will require further in-depth assessment. Upon investigating the food hygiene infrastructure provided at the study site to allow food handlers to carry out the correct behaviours, findings indicated that although the personnel hygiene programme addressed most of best practice requirements in design, the implementation of the hand washing requirements was not aligned with accepted norms due to the lack of sufficient hand wash basins. The provision of facilities such as sufficient and conveniently located hand wash basins is a management function and findings suggest that, as a priority, management should ensure that they are not contributing to the lack of implementation of the correct food safety behaviours of food handlers as a result of failing to provide the necessary resources. The results of this study should be of value in the food service sector, specifically hotel kitchens, as a guideline to ensure that management plays an effective role in facilitating food safety management systems. A robust food safety and food hygiene training programme for all levels of the organisation is essential in ensuring adequate knowledge of food safety hazards and correct practices. Training should be supported by daily supervision of food safety controls, management commitment and a work environment that supports the implementation of the correct behaviours. Literature has shown that undesirable practices are often deeply rooted in kitchen culture. It has further been commented that culture changes require a top-down approach which usually involves working with the leadership of the organisation. Important policies and procedures generally originate from the management tiers and will always require the concurrence of management in providing resources, altering priorities or otherwise changing how things are done in the organisation. The results of this study are invaluable in highlighting areas in an organisation that could be targeted to change the kitchen culture. Such changes are primarily the responsibility of management. Ultimately, this study endeavours to contribute to the body of knowledge pointing to the role of social-behavioural aspects in ensuring food safety and thereby consumer well-being.