Food Safety Behaviors and Consumer Education: Focus Group Research
We will conduct two series of focus groups with adult consumers. Each series will include 16 focus groups. The first series will be conducted in FY 2018, and the second series will be conducted in FY 2020. The supporting statement describes the first series of focus groups. We will provide a memorandum to describe the second series of focus groups before conducting the second set of groups.
In FY 2018, two sets of focus groups will be conducted, with eight groups per set, for a total of 16 focus groups. The sample selection for each set of groups is described below.
Sample Selection for Set 1 Focus Groups: Food Safe Families Logo and Message Framing
For the first set of focus groups (Set 1), we will conduct eight focus groups with parents of children (<18 years). To provide for geographic diversity, we will conduct two focus groups in four different locations (one per census region, for a total of eight groups): Hartford, CT (Eastern); Austin, TX (Southern); San Diego, CA (Western); and Chicago, IL (Midwestern). These locations were also chosen because they contain large percentages of Hispanics (29.1 to 44.2%) according to the American Community Survey, 2016 city estimates (https://www.census.gov/acs/www/data/data-tables-and-tools/subject-tables/). In each location, we will conduct one focus group with English-speaking adults and one focus group with Spanish-speaking adults. In addition, we will segment the groups by education level (high school graduate or less versus some college or more) to increase the homogeneity of the groups. Table B-1 identifies the subpopulations, languages, and locations for the focus groups.
Table B-1. Set 1 Focus Groups: Subpopulations, Languages, and Locations
Group |
Subpopulation |
Language |
Location |
1 |
Parents/less educateda |
Spanish |
Hartford, CT |
2 |
Parents/more educatedb |
English |
Hartford, CT |
3 |
Parents/more educatedb |
Spanish |
Austin, TX |
4 |
Parents/less educateda |
English |
Austin, TX |
5 |
Parents/less educateda |
Spanish |
San Diego, CA |
6 |
Parents/more educatedb |
English |
San Diego, CA |
7 |
Parents/more educatedb |
Spanish |
Chicago, IL |
8 |
Parents/less educateda |
English |
Chicago, IL |
a Adults with a high school education or less
b Adults with some college or higher
In addition to meeting the segmentation requirements for inclusion, focus group participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
are adults (18+)
have a child (0 to 17 years) living in the household
cook and prepare meals at home at least four times a week
have not cooked professionally or taken ServSafe training
are not a vegetarian or vegan
have not been employed (including immediate family members) by the federal government; the food service industry; the food industry; health care industry; or a marketing research, advertising, or public relations company in the past 5 years
have not participated in a focus group in past 6 months
For the Spanish-speaking groups, we will screen to limit participation to people who primarily speak Spanish at home and watch and listen to mostly Spanish TV and radio stations.
Sample Selection for Set 2 Focus Groups: Raw or Undercooked Meat or Poultry Products
For the second set of focus groups (Set 2), we will conduct eight focus groups with English-speaking adults and segment the groups by the type of raw or undercooked meat or poultry of interest (two groups per food). Additional segmentation (e.g., by education level) is not required because these groups focus on consumers of specific products. As described in Table B-2, we will conduct the following groups:
Two groups in Portland, OR, with adults who prepare undercooked (rare or medium rare) hamburgers at home for personal consumption.
Two groups in Newark, NJ, with adults who consume undercooked chicken livers or pâté prepared at or outside the home.
Two groups in Milwaukee, WI, with adults who consume dishes made with raw beef, such as raw meat sandwiches (e.g., cannibal meat sandwiches) or steak tartare, prepared at or outside the home.
Two groups in Detroit, MI, with adults who consume kibbeh made with raw meat or similar dishes prepared at or outside the home.
Table B-2. Set 2 Focus Groups: Subpopulations and Locations
Group |
Subpopulation |
Location |
1 |
Adults who prepare undercooked (rare or medium rare) hamburgers at home for personal consumption |
Portland, OR |
2 |
Adults who prepare undercooked hamburgers (rare or medium rare) at home for personal consumption |
Portland, OR |
3 |
Adults who consume undercooked chicken livers or pâté prepared at home or outside the home |
Newark, NJ |
4 |
Adults who consume undercooked chicken livers or pâté prepared at home or outside the home |
Newark, NJ |
5 |
Adults who consume dishes made with raw beef (e.g., raw meat sandwiches or steak tartare) prepared at home or outside the home |
Milwaukee, WI |
6 |
Adults who consume dishes made with raw beef (e.g., raw meat sandwiches or steak tartare) prepared at home or outside the home |
Milwaukee, WI |
7 |
Adults who consume kibbeh made with raw meat or similar dishes at home or outside the home |
Detroit, MI |
8 |
Adults who consume kibbeh made with raw meat or similar dishes at home or outside the home |
Detroit, MI |
Portland, OR was selected as the location for the undercooked hamburger groups because this city was recognized as having “America’s Best Burger” in 2017 (https://pdx.eater.com/2017/5/24/15685502/stanichs-best-burger-in-the-country-portland ). Some residents of Portland appear to prefer their hamburgers undercooked as noted in these two recent articles, which mention restaurants that serve hamburgers medium rare (http://www.wweek.com/restaurants/reviews/2017/02/28/the-16-best-bar-burgers-in-portland/ and http://www.oregonlive.com/dining/index.ssf/2017/03/portlands_best_new_burgers.html).
Chicken livers and chicken liver pâté are commonly sold in Jewish delis. Thus, Newark, NJ was selected as the location for the focus groups on chicken livers because the state of New Jersey has the second highest Jewish population in the United States.
Milwaukee, WI, was selected as the location for the focus groups on dishes made with raw beef for two reasons. First, “cannibal sandwiches,” or sandwiches containing raw meat, are a specialty dish among German, Polish, and other ethnic communities in certain regions of the upper Midwest. Second, there has been at least one Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with the consumption of cannibal sandwiches in Wisconsin which sickened 17 people in 2012 (CDC, 2013; https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6248a4.htm ).
Kibbeh is a popular dish among Middle Eastern Americans, particularly Lebanese Americans. Because Detroit has the largest population of Lebanese residents in the United States, these groups will be conducted in Detroit, MI. This location was also selected because there has been at least one Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak associated with the consumption of kibbeh, which happened in Detroit in December 2012 (Khan, 2013).
Each of the eight groups will include a mix of genders (at least two males per group), ages, and races/ethnicities that are reflective of individuals in these locations that consume the targeted food.
In addition to meeting the segmentation requirements for inclusion, focus group participants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
are adults (18+)
have not cooked professionally or taken ServSafe training
have not been employed (including immediate family members) by the federal government; the food service industry; the food industry; or a marketing research, advertising, or public relations company in the past 5 years
have not participated in a focus group in past 6 months
Recruitment Procedures for Set 1 and Set 2 Focus Groups
Our contractor will work with a local market research company in each location to recruit potential participants and provide the facilities for hosting the focus group discussions. The data collection will not use statistical methods to select respondents. Instead, the market research companies will use convenience sampling to recruit from their databases and other sources, if necessary, potential participants who meet the eligibility criteria as defined by the screening questionnaires (see Appendix A for Set 1 focus groups and Appendix C for Set 2 focus groups). Recruiters at each market research company will use the questionnaire to screen and assign participants to the appropriate group in each location. A maximum of 12 participants per group will be recruited, resulting in an actual group size of 8 to 10 participants (due to no-shows).
To ensure that we have a sample that meets our criteria and also includes a mix of genders, ages, and races/ethnicities (as appropriate), the local market research facilities will call individuals in their recruitment database who represent a mix of these variables. The screening process will then serve to verify demographic variables such as these and identify participants who meet the remaining screening criteria.
The databases maintained by market research facilities are developed through advertisements, word-of-mouth referrals, outreach to various organizations and industries, and Internet list searches, among other means. The databases are constantly refreshed through natural attrition and additions. In addition to contact information, basic socioeconomic characteristics are collected through the registration process and updated periodically.
Upon arrival to the focus group facility, participants will read and sign an informed consent form (approved by RTI’s Institutional Review Board; see Appendix E for Set 1 focus groups and Appendix F for Set 2 focus groups) and answer a few questions to confirm eligibility. An experienced moderator will conduct the focus group discussions and use a moderator guide (see Appendix B for Set 1 focus groups and Appendix D for Set 2 focus groups), which will serve as an outline and provide structure for the focus group discussions. The moderator guide for the first set of focus groups (Set 1) is designed to explore respondents’ food safety concerns, evaluate the current Food Safe Families logo and icons, assess respondents’ responses to alternative food safety messages on thermometer use, and identify respondents’ preferred sources of food safety information. Throughout the discussion, the moderator will provide handouts to facilitate the discussion (provided in Appendix B).
For the second set of focus groups (Set 2), the moderator guide for each of the four types of food is designed to explore respondents’ food safety concerns and their purchasing, preparation, and consumption practices for the food of interest; characterize why respondents prefer to eat these foods raw or undercooked; collect feedback on respondents’ opinions of FSIS educational materials specific to the food of interest; and identify respondents’ preferred sources and mechanisms for receiving food safety information. During the discussions, participants will be given handouts to aid the discussion (provided in Appendix D). Each focus group will be professionally audio- and video-recorded by the local market research companies. The audio-recordings will be professionally transcribed.
The moderators will review the video-recordings and transcripts of the focus group discussions and prepare a detailed summary of each discussion. The moderators will then systematically analyze the detailed summaries to identify common themes and any exceptions to these themes. The contractor will summarize these findings in a final report to FSIS. No statistical analyses will be conducted.
Each market research company will recruit 12 individuals to ensure 8 to 10 individuals show to participate in each focus group. We anticipate that up to 160 adults will participate in the focus group study. The expected response (show rate) among recruited participants is 83% assuming 12 people are recruited and an average of 10 participants per group.
To maximize response rate and address possible nonresponse, each focus group participant will receive a $75 Visa gift card and a free gift (food thermometer and magnet) for their participation and be entered into a drawing for a chance to win an extra $50 Visa gift card if s/he arrives 15 minutes before his or her group start time. In addition, each local market research company will send confirmation letters with directions and make reminder calls to recruited individuals before the group discussion.
On Thursday, October 19, 2017, RTI conducted a pilot focus group with 7 adults in Research Triangle Park, NC. The purpose of the pilot focus group was to test the moderator guides and the time allotted for each topic. For the pilot, we tested two sections in the Food Safe Families® Logo and Message Framing moderator guide (Food Safety Concerns and Food Messaging) and two sections in the Undercooked Hamburgers moderator guide (Undercooked Hamburger Preferences and Messaging). Based on the pilot, we added the question, “Do you look for food safety information?” before the question, “What sources do you typically rely on for food safety information?” in every moderator guide to get more detailed information from participants. In the Food Safe Families® Logo and Message Framing moderator guide, we reorder two questions and moved a set of instructions to improve the flow of the discussion.
Sheryl Cates, RTI International, will manage the collection and analysis of the focus group data. Christopher Bernstein, an FSIS employee, will review the results of the consumer focus groups.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013, December 6). Notes from the field: Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak associated with seasonal consumption of raw ground beef — Wisconsin, December 2012–January 2013. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 62(48) 987–987. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6248a4.htm
Khan, A. (2013, January 24). Michigan retail store recalls ground beef products due to possible Salmonella contamination. News release. Retrieved from https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/recalls-and-public-health-alerts/recall-case-archive/archive/2013/FSIS-RC-008-2013
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | joconnell |
| Last Modified By | SYSTEM |
| File Modified | 2018-03-12 |
| File Created | 2018-03-12 |