Food safety and healthcare professionals: The need for education and research

For the healthy population, a foodborne infection is troublesome; however, for people with a weakened immune system, it might cause serious illness, hospitalization and even death. Healthcare professionals, comprising dietitians, doctors, epidemiologists, hygiene technicians, midwives, nurses amongst others, are often expected to inform patients about food safety to reduce the risk of foodborne diseases. Our aim was to investigate what is known from the existing scientific literature about healthcare professional’s food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices and to summarize the results. A scoping review was carried out through a broad search conducted in the largestinternational database in medicine using the keywords health care staff, attitude/knowledge/practice and food safety. Only ten scientific publications were selected, guided by the research question and the inclusion criteria. Limited food safety knowledge indicated the need for education, including food related issues, during the healthcare professional’s working life. Future food safety research might focus on the issue of “responsibility” in multi-professional health care settings, and the “grey zone” between the settings regulated by the food safety legislation and conditions in domestic settings. An extensive research gap was revealed in the subject of healthcare professional’sfood safety knowledge, attitudes and practices. This applies globally and, from ourperspective, is a matter of concern in the Nordic countries, including Sweden. • A research gap regarding healthcare professionals' food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices. • A need for food safety education regarding food handling and storage. • An issue of “responsibility” in multi-professional health care settings. • A “grey zone” in domestic settings not regulated by food safety legislation.