Explains the project and discusses examples of successful work using the demonstration techniques.Consumer/Household Economics,

Norwood, Lewis F., Jr.

English

Research Papers in Economics

PROJECT CONSUMER CONCERN — USDA — NARGUS DEMONSTRATIONS
by
Lewis F. Norwood
Extension Service
United States Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C.
Explains the project and discusses
examples of successful work using
the demonstration techniques.
Project Consumer Concern is an effort
on the part of the USDA and the food in-
dustry to follow through on their combined
commitment to furnish consumers an adequate
supply of wholesome food.
What is Project Consumer Concern?
Specifically Project Consumer Concern
is a joint program effort between the United
States Department of Agriculture and the
Nati,onalAssociation of Retail Grocers and
has three basicobjectives: (1) to impress
three closely linked segments of the food
marketing chain. . retail, wholesale, and
consumer. . .of the importance of their con-
tribution toward an improved environment,
in assuring a wholesome food supply, and the
necessity of working together to achieve
them; (2) to illustrate what is being done
and what can be done to improve our daily
lives with a more efficient and concerned
food marketing system; and (3) to effect
improvements of food handling, storage, and
distribution.
Some of the proposed problem areas we
are investigating:
1. To obtain actual operating data for
handling food products at retail stores.
Included will be the identification and
description of handling practices, sanitation
procedures, and operating policies. To
examine the condition of merchandise as it
is received from suppliers at the super-
market and make preliminary recommendations
to management upon completion of the de-
tailed in-store studies.
February 73/page 46
2. Obtain information on proper envi-
ronmental requirements and handling practices
for food products by major food product
categories . Sources of information include
Federal, State, and local health departments
and USDA and FDA research publications and
personnel. Initial emphasis will be placed
on meat, delicatessen, produce, dairy,
bakery, and frozen food items. Emphasis
will be given to the proper work methods and
equipment needed to safely handle the prod-
ucts , the best methods for effectively
sanitizing the storage, preparation, and
display areas.
3. Coordinate the development of con-
sumer educational materials dealing with
product selection and use, proper handling
techniques from supermarket to consumption,
nutritional value and complementary items
for balanced diets.
4. Develop guidelines to encourage
effective handling and use of solid waste
with emphasis on recyclability or reclama-
tion. The handling of returnable bottles
and reusable containers will be included.
To Use Demonstration
Store Technique
In following through with this commit-
ment it was decided by the USDA—NARGUS
Wholesome Food Committee, made up of repre-
sentatives of the USDA and three NARGUS
Directors, to use the Demonstration Store
technique. The Demonstration Store is an
educational device that has been used for
many years successfully by the Extension
Service. It uses the result demonstration
principle in which improvement based on
research results are established in one
store of a firm or group of stores and ex-
tended by various means to other stores in
the firm or group of stores, The Demonstra-
Journal of Food Distribution Researchtion Store becomes the focus for the firm-
wide or group-wide program. It simplyis an
educational vehicle to aid in the extension
of research information to the entire firm
or group of stores, The Demonstration Store
program is the total educational effort with
the cooperating firm or group using the
Demonstration Store as a vehicle to aid in
the extension of research results within the
firm or group.
In moving ahead with our Demonstration
Store approach itwas agreed to evaluate and
explore opportunities for consumer education
programs as it relates to care in handling
and storing meats, delicatessen and pre-
pared foods, produce, frozen foods, dairy,
grocery and bakery products.
Objective for Total Sanitation
Program in Supermarkets
During the week of September 25,
Dr. Harold Ricker of the Agricultural
Research Service and I had an opportunity
to work with representatives of the Pennsyl-
vania Extension Service in initiating our
first Demonstration Store. One of our first
accomplishments was to agree upon an objec-
tive for the Demonstration Store which was
agreed to be: “to implement a program of
procurement, cleanliness, and careful han-
dling that will assure all food products
reach the table of my customers in a safe
and wholesome condition.”
Also during the week we had an oppor-
tunityto meet with key decisionmakers within
the firmto explain and discuss the program.
We also met with department heads who will
have the responsibility for the program in
the supermarket. Agreement was also reached
as to who the supermarket liaison man would
be.. that is, the individual within the firm
who would have the responsibility for im-
plementing the total sanitation program.
We discussed the objectives of the
program and local health requirements with
State representatives from the Bureau of
Foodand Chemistry who have the responsibil-
ity for food store inspections. Meetings
were also held with representatives from the
Department of Environmental Resources who
have the responsibilities for water, waste
disposal, sewage, and sanitation in food
service and restaurant establishments ,
Others we met with during the week included
Extension Specialists, food distribution,
food science, and consumer marketing.
Pennsylvania Demonstration
Store
During the week in Pennsylvania the
following was accomplished:
Developed plans for a retailer sponsored
consumer education program. This program
will include concise suggestions for care
and storage of food so as to assure its
safety and maintain wholesomeness from store
to consumers table. It will be promoted in
the weekly advertisements of the retail food
firm. Leaflets will be made available at
the store and from the Pennsylvania State
University. These leaflets will be referred
to in the advertisements and go into greater
detail relative to the subjects for that
week. It is planned to test this program
for twelve weeks. At the end of this period
the programwillbe evaluated so as to deter-
mine customer comprehension and use. Plans
are also being made to include bag stuffers
and shelf talkers in this phase of the
program.
In addition, it was planned to hold re-
tailersponsored meat workshops for consumers
at which the selection, preparation, and care
of the meat will be discussed.
A list of objectives for a total in-
store sanitation programwas agreed upon and
a draft of a check list developed. Plans
were made to train store supervisors and
department managers in the use of the check
list and the application of improved sanita-
tion practices through in-store training
sessions.
Plans were also made for expanding the
total program to multi-store groups by
utilizing the materials and techniques tested
in the demonstration store.
Extension plans also to provide the
leadership in coordinating the food sanita-
tion educational program with the Bureau of
Food and Chemistry and with the Department
of Environmental Resources.
Journal of Food Distribution Research February 73/page 47Sanitation Problems Found
in Stores
Since de.finingthe problemis so neces-
sary in getting the job done, I thought you
might be interested in some of the problems
that we have observed not only in Pennsyl-
vania Demonstration Store but also in super-
markets in Ohio and North Carolina that have
been selected for Demonstration Store
purposes.
Sanitation Problems:
1. There are no uniform guidelines
being used for sanitation programs for any
department.
2, There are no formal training pro-
grams on sanitation purposes or practices
for store level personnel.
3. There is often disagreement among
State, county, and city health departments
as to equipment, facilities, materials, and
standards of cleanliness.
4, The regulations and the inspectors
for restaurants and snack bars are often
different than those for meat, bakery, dairy,
and other departments within the same store.
5. There isno follow-up on sanitation
training.
6. Cleanup was generally doneby part-
time workers.
7. No established method for cleaning
and sanitizing.
8. No procedures established or check
list for managements’ use in control of
sanitation programs.
9. Difficulty in getting cleaning
equipment serviced.
10. No agreement on the types of clean-
ing equipment to use. Some of it was custom
made and of questionable value,
11. General agreement that the biggest
program was supervising employees to see
that the sanitation goals are achieved.
Perishable Products--Refrigeration and
Handling:
1. Considerable uncertainty as to
proper refrigeration temperatures and where
in the case and cooler temperatures should
be checked.
2. There is a need for better temper-
ature indicators in all refrigerated cases.
3. There isa need to improve the ease
of servicing refrigerated equipment.
4. Freshness codes expiration dates
were of little use to employees or customers.
5. Little knowledge of the effect of
lighting on meat quality.
6. Improper temperatures for meat pro-
cessing areas, egg storage in the backroom
and egg displays in sales areas,
7. Frozen food temperatures range from
10 degrees above zeroto 40 below. Ice cream
was generally heldat 20 to 25 below. Frozen
foods hadsnow andice in and on the packages.
No programs for rotation of frozen foods.
Large amounts of frozen food cases on the
sales floor waiting to be put into display
cases .
8. Dairy products travel with dry
groceries in wholesalers truck with no
refrigeration,
9. No plan to protect perishable foods
relative to their location in the store.
Consumer Information:
1. Virtually non-existent.
2. There was general agreement that
the consumer does not know how to handle or
take care of perishable food products.
Groceries:
1. No understanding of code dates of
groceries and no rotation plan.
2. Some are attempting to keep pesti-
cides and dangerous chemicals separate in
the display area but lack follow through.
February 73/page 48 Journal of Food Distribution ResearchWaste and Bottle Handling:
1. Lack of standards for incinerators,
2. Solid waste in uncovered containers.
3. Difficulty in establishing a system
for reusing cardboard, since wholesaler is
reluctant to take leadership.
4. Returnable bottles. One area has
95% returnables and another is trying for
O% returnables. Returnable bottle systems
are inefficient.
At this point in our development of
Project Consumer Concern, the following
challenges are evident: the enormity of
the job, especially in getting food retail-
ers who are in a profit squeeze to spend
additional money for sanitation; to get
follow through in stores even after con-
vincing top management of the necessity of
good sanitation; the need to get the many
regulatory agencies coordinated as it re-
lates to the standards; convincing consumers
of their role in the proper handling of
perishable products; and also to motivate
various research and educational groups to
provide us with facts to fill the voids that
now exist in the whole area of sanitation
and refrigeration so as to provide safe and
wholesome foods for consumers.
Journal of Food Distribution Research February 73/page 49

PROJECT CONSUMER CONCERN - USDA - NARGUS DEMONSTRATIONS

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