Self-Reported Food Safety Behaviors in Independent Chinese and Mexican Restaurants in Kansas

Research has shown that food served in ethnic restaurants is frequently associated with foodborne outbreaks. Few studies have used the Social Cognitive Theory to predict food safety behaviors, especially in independent ethnic restaurants. This study aimed to determine whether self-efficacy, self-regulation, outcome expectations, and environmental determinants are predictive of self-reported food safety behaviors through examining the behavioral intentions of food handlers in independent Chinese and Mexican restaurants. A questionnaire was developed and self-administered. It was translated to Chinese and Spanish and backtranslated to English to ensure accuracy. A multistage random sampling technique was utilized to collect data onsite, targeting a minimum of 250 food handlers from independent Mexican and Chinese restaurants. A total of 204 food handlers responded; 201 responses were usable, for a response rate of 80.4%. Multiple regression and mediation analyses were used to analyze the data. Only self-regulation, environmental determinants, and outcome expectations were statistically significant predictors of food safety behavioral intentions. Behavioral intentions were a significant mediator of the relationships between all predictors and self-reported food safety behaviors. The findings suggest that self-regulation, outcome expectations, and environmental factors in the form of equipment and supplies can promote positive food safety behaviors through behavioral intentions. INTRODUCTION Ethnic restaurants are defined as those that serve food from countries other than the traditional cuisine of the host country (18). Ethnic restaurants, especially Chinese, Italian, and Mexican have gained popularity and have become mainstream in the diet of most Americans (3, 47, 51). The ethnic food market continues to grow, with Mexican food having 62% of the market share (45). The increased interest in ethnic food in the United States has been driven by the diverse population, the growing number of immigrants who seek their traditional food, and young people who like to try new and different foods (57, 64).