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The project aims to learn by 2004 relevant practices and social behaviors of various ethnic groups that may influence the effective management of food allergens. By 2005, educational training materials will be developed to increase the awareness of the Hawaii food manufacturing and foodservice industries regarding their specific roles in reducing incidences of anayphylaxis-related deaths due to allergens in ethnic foods.
The same Hawaii food industries will be trained to manage food allergens using the developed educational materials. By 2006, results of the above research and extension studies will be integrated in a graduate course.
There is a need to address the lack of awareness and educational programs involving food allergens for handlers of ethnic foods. This project aims to communicate the seriousness of food allergens as a food safety issue, to help easily identify allergens in an ethnic food, and to reduce the incidences of food anaphylaxis-related deaths by using a multi-institutional, multidisciplinary, and multifunctional working team of representatives of the Hawaii food manufacturing and foodservice industries, that prepare predominantly ethnic food, regulators, academia, and the public.
The working team will gather information on practice and behavior that impact the effective management of allergens, especially in ethnic foods, through observations and interviews during actual food purchasing preparation, processing or serving. Obtained information will be used to develop educational materials, such as DVD and posters, to communicate the seriousness of this food safety issue, to help identify allergens in a food, and to manage food allergens. Results of the research study and extension efforts will be incorporated in a formal graduate course to determine the effectiveness of the research-extension intervention and to improve the developed educational materials.