Justification Change Request

OMB Control Number: 0583-0177

Title of Clearance: Consumer Research on the Safe Handling Instructions Label for Raw and Partially Cooked Meat and Poultry Products and Labeling Statements for Ready-to-Eat and Not-Ready-to-Eat Products

Agency Form Number affected by Change Worksheet: NA

Summary of Changes:

Web-based Experimental Study

We conducted the pilot for the web-based experimental study (n = 100) using the OMB-approved version of the instrument and no changes were made based on the pilot results. We conducted the full data collection for the web-based experimental study and obtained 3,600 completed surveys. We analyzed the data according to the OMB-approved analysis plan. Based on the analysis results, we identified the three label options that best capture respondents’ attention and the rationale statements that best conveys the importance of complying with the SHI label. Exhibit 1 (at end of memo) provides the three labels that we will test in the behavior change study.

Behavior Change Study

We conducted a pilot study with six people at the North Carolina State University (NCSU) test kitchens to test the instruments and procedures for the behavior change study. Based on the results of the pilot, we revised several of the instruments as described below. The revised versions of the appendices are attached.The proposed changes to the instrument do not increase participant burden.

Appendix G_Screening Questionnaires

• Added additional screening questions to exclude individuals for which the eye tracking device will not calibrate (diagnosed with any eye movement or alignment abnormalities, like lazy or nystagmus; and had any type of eye surgery like corneal, cataracts, or intraocular implants).

Appendix I_Confirmation Email

• At the suggestion of the eye tracking technology vendor, added text to provide several reminders to participants to help facilitate proper calibration of the eye tracking device.

Appendix K_informed consent

• Added text to note additional exclusion criteria (to exclude individuals for which the eye tracking device will not calibrate) and to advise participants to not use their mobile phone during the study.

Appendix L_Recipes and Instructions

• Revised the script to provide additional information on the calibration of the eye tracking device and moved calibration of the device to the end of the instructions to minimize the recording time for the eye tracking device (and maximize battery charge time).

• Revised the script and recipe to allow participants to prepare the meal as they would at home, preparing frozen meat balls first, so that there is no longer a requirement to prepare the dishes in a linear fashion (more realistic and reduce meal preparation time).

• Revised the recipe to use only a portion of the ground beef and to bake (not fry) the homemade meat balls (to reduce meal preparation time).
  
  

Appendix N_Eyetracking_IDI

• For Eye-tracking Task B (attention to SHI label), added additional distractors.

• For Eye-tracking Task C (properly distinguish between RTE vs. NRTE products), simplified the logistics of the task by placing the six mock products in the freezer and asking participants to take the products out of the freezer and then sort into two piles – (1) products that have to be cooked to be safely eaten and (2) products that do not require cooking for safety.

• For the In-depth Interviews, eliminated many of the questions to decrease participant burden and focus only on the information needed to inform selection of the best performing SHI label (among the three test SHI labels and the current label). Retained questions on awareness and use of current SHI label and participants’ use of food thermometer in experimental study versus usual behavior when cooking at home.

Exhibit 1: SHI Labels to Test in Behavior Change Study