Consumer behavior studies reveal telling insights into what food preparation methods they use. In a recent study, consumers were observed preparing turkey burgers and a chef’s salad to see what steps they did during meal preparation.
When preparing the turkey burgers, almost 50% of the participants handled spice containers without washing their hands after handling raw turkey. This observation was unexpected. Previous observation studies did not sample spice containers for contamination. Also, if spice containers are not stored inside cabinets, those containers could be contaminated more easily.
What to do? Plan ahead. Measure out spices before handling raw meat so they are ready to use. If containers are handled with dirty hands, clean the containers before putting them back in storage.