The Abuela Project: A Community Based Food Safety Intervention

1
The Abuela ProjectA Community Based Food
SafetyIntervention
2
Project Background

• In 1997, over 90 cases of Salmonella typhimurium
  DT 104 were reported in Yakima county, Washington
• Symptoms included diarrhea, fever, abdominal
  pain, bloody stool,vomiting
• Median age was 4 years old

3
Project Background

• Majority of cases involved children of Hispanic
  heritage
• A CDC study implicated unpasteurized-milk queso
  fresco as the source of S. typh. DT104
• CDC emphasized the need for an intervention

4
Project Background

• -CDC Recommendations-
• Adapt interventions to convey health safety
  messages with educational programs to improve the
  safety of popular traditional foods

5
Pre-Intervention Salmonellosis Cases
6
Raw-Milk Cheeses

• Highly valued in many cultures (Tavaria and
  Malcata)
• Have unique taste characteristics (Tavaria and
  Malcata)
• Popular in Latin American (Torres and Chandon,
  1981)

7
Intervention Goals

• Decrease consumption/production of
  unpasteurized-milk queso fresco
• Increase knowledge of hazards associated with raw
  milk
• Maintain/Encourage a nutritious food in the
  Hispanic diet
• Maintain a traditional food custom

8
Pre-Intervention

• Collection of preliminary data via survey
• Design of a safer, pasteurized-milk QF recipe
• Design of a flyer to illustrate the recipe
• Acquisition of funding
• Design of a program to introduce the new recipe

9
Pre-Intervention Survey

• Designed July 15 - August 1, 1997
• Implemented August 2 - August 15, 1997
• Outdoor community events
• Face-to-face interview style
• Spanish or English
• n86

10
Pre-intervention Survey Data

• 50 get QF from family member, neighbor, vendor
• 50 did not know if QF made from raw milk
• 40 did not believe raw-milk QF could cause
  illness (25 unsure)
• 60 had not heard of Salmonella.

11
Safe Queso Fresco Design

• Preliminary pasteurized-milk recipe obtained from
  Julia Herrera
• Modification of the recipe by WSU dairy
  scientists Lloyd Luedecke and Mike Costello
• Decreased pH
• Increased shelf-life
• Improved ease-of-preparation
• Maintained acceptable taste/texture

12
Julia, Mike and Lloyd
13
Abuela Project Pamphlet

• Heat treatment of unpasteurized milk
• Sanitization of cheese-making implements
• Step-by-step instructions in Spanish and English
• Graphical illustrations for low literacy audience

14
Project Funding

• 5,000 gift obtained from the Washington State
  Dairy Products Commission
• Used to purchase Abuela Educator incentive package

15
Abuela Educators

• Older Hispanic grandmothers
• respected
• hold positions of authority
• carry on traditions

16
Abuela Educators

• 15 volunteers from the community
• learned the new recipe
• learned hazards of raw milk
• learned sanitization methods

• Trained at 3 locations

• Agreed to teach 15 others

17
Training Abuela Educators
18
Incentive Packages

• Educators (15)
• Colander
• 5-quart mixing bowl
• Thermometer
• Cheese cloth
• Apron
• Tote bag
• 8-cup mixing bowl
• 6-quart stock pot

• Participants (225)
• Tote bag
• Thermometer
• Cheese cloth
• Measuring spoons
• 8-cup mixing bowl

19
Educator Incentives
20
Safe Cheese Workshop Results
21
Will People in the Community Eat Pasteurized-Milk
Queso Fresco?X2 29.9 (Significant/plt.01)
22
Are there Health Risks Associated with Eating
Unpasteurized Milk and Cheese?X2 1.5 (no
significant change)
23
Community Survey

• People who did not participate in safe cheese
  workshops

24
Does Raw-Milk QF Cause Illness?X2 25.3
(significant/plt.01)
25
Post Intervention Salmonella Cases