Hea-Ran Lee Ashraf

Food Service Employee Satisfaction and Motivation and the Relationship with Learning Food Safety

Abstract Employee food safety training is conducted to reduce food borne illnesses. This is particularly important with culinary employees. However, training alone cannot reduce the propensity for employees to produce non-contaminated foods. According to researchers, organizational behavior contributes to the reduction of food borne illness occurrences because it can help understand and improve the performance of employees. This study investigated the influence of the work environment and employee motivation on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) based food safety training. Specifically, it explored if university food service employee satisfaction and self-perceived motivation are antecedents to the learning acquired during training. The results indicated that two components of employee satisfaction and training satisfaction predicted food safety post-training test scores of employees.

Acceptance of Soy Foods by the Elderly in a Long-Term Care Facility

Abstract Soy foods were successfully substituted for traditional foods in a three-week cycle menu serving 260 long-term care facility residents. Plate waste from 9,298 resident meals showed there was no significant difference in grams eaten between the study periods. Residents ate 66% of the items served during both soy and traditional food service periods. Energy values between study weeks, by meals, and products were not significantly different. Protein values were significantly higher (P < 0.01) for the soy study period. Soy foods can be acceptably substituted for traditional foods while increasing protein intake in the elderly.

Soy-Enhanced Products can Increase Protein Intake of Long-Term Care Residents

Abstract The importance of sufficient protein intake of the elderly, especially those in long-term care facilities (LTCF), is well established. Marginal protein intake has been shown to result in loss of lean muscle mass and immune function. Soy is a complete, high quality protein, which can be added to a wide variety of products to enhance the texture and nutritional quality of foods such as meats, breads, desserts, and cereals. This study was conducted with 74 residents having a mean age of 78 years in a 460 bed LTCF. The study consisted of two, three-week cycle menus where either traditional or soy-enhanced cycle menus were served. During the soy enhanced weeks, four to six items per day from the traditional menus were replaced with similar soy-enhanced products, reaching a goal of 30 grams of soy per day. To determine amounts served, five random trays were selected and individual food items were weighed for each meal. Plate waste measurements from the 9,298 trays over the six-week study provided data on differences in acceptance of the respective cycle menus. Nutritional content of foods was calculated using the NDS system developed by the University of Minnesota. Data were subjected to an analysis of covariance to test for differences between the traditional and soy-enhanced menus regarding amount eaten, energy values, and protein values in matched meals. There was no significant difference in amount of food or energy consumed between study weeks, although the soy-enhanced products were more protein dense. The amount of protein consumed increased (p≤0.01) by 19.6% per day (13.2 grams) in the soy-enhanced compared with traditional menus. In conclusion, the energy and protein content of the foods consumed during the traditional and soy-enhanced weeks was comparable to that reported in the literature for similar populations. Soy-enhanced products incorporated into traditional LTCF menus can significantly enhance the overall protein consumption by the elderly.