Researchers found that current extension literature aimed at consumers for safe transport of meat were vague or hard to understand. To provide educators, the industry and ultimately consumers with more knowledge about proper handling behaviors (and accountability for food-safety problems), the team sought to learn more about how consumers handle fresh beef they buy in the store.
Many consumers don’t always understand the importance of keeping fresh beef products refrigerated. A consumer might buy three pounds of hamburger, deposit the hamburger in their trunk along with the rest of their groceries and then run multiple errands, stopping at the dry cleaner and then picking up their kids from school before placing the hamburger safely in her home refrigerator.