Factors Influencing Older Adults’ Food Safety Practices

Researchers identified several factors that increase older adults’ likelihood of contracting foodborne illness. Specifically:

• Age-related health challenges: Reduced mobility, vision impairment, cognitive decline, and decreased appetite affect food purchasing, preparation, storage, and consumption practices. Caregivers reported concerns about prolonged storage of food in the home, difficulties following cooking instructions, and reduced adherence to use-by dates.
• Environmental factors: Limited transportation options, reliance on weekly grocery shopping or online deliveries, and reduced access to food retailers could result in longer food storage periods, increasing the importance of proper refrigeration and safe thawing practices.
• Social isolation: Participants living alone reported lower motivation to prepare fresh meals and greater reliance on ready meals, frozen foods, and batch-cooked meals, which could increase the likelihood of improper storage and reheating practices.
• Economic pressures: Participants described purchasing discounted foods, buying in bulk, and freezing food to manage rising costs. Researchers noted that unfamiliarity with newer cooking appliances, such as air fryers and pressure cookers, could create additional food safety challenges if foods are not cooked to safe internal temperatures.

Risk Perception Gaps

The study found that many older adults did not perceive themselves to be at increased risk for foodborne illness and often associated foodborne infections with meals prepared outside the home. Family caregivers generally demonstrated greater awareness of age-related vulnerability and the potential severity of foodborne illness among older adults.

Researchers reported that personal experience with foodborne illness, concern for vulnerable family members, and access to food safety tools such as refrigerator thermometers influenced motivation to follow recommended food safety practices.

Recommendations for Future Food Safety Messaging

Based on the findings, researchers recommended that FSS develop targeted food safety communications for older adults and other clinically vulnerable groups. Suggested strategies include:

• Increasing awareness of age-related susceptibility to foodborne illness
• Emphasizing the potential severity of infections
• Addressing barriers to safe food handling
• Providing practical guidance tailored to older adults' circumstances.

The report concluded that future food safety campaigns should incorporate behavior-change principles, clear calls to action, and messaging that acknowledges the interconnected effects of health, financial, and environmental factors on food safety practices among older adults.