Enhancing Food Safety and Infection Control in Mass Foodservice Operations: Implementing a Foodservice Provision Audit Tool for Sport (FPAT-S)

Abstract

Ensuring food safety and infection control in large-scale foodservice operations is critical to protecting health in mass feeding environments, including athletes' dining halls and institutional dining settings. Athletes at major competitions are at risk of illness in overcrowded dining areas, especially where foodservice safety standards are inconsistent. Objectives: This study aimed to (1) develop and pilot-test a Foodservice Provision Audit Tool for Sport (FPAT-S) at two major sport competitions to evaluate compliance with infection control and food safety measures, and (2) determine its inter-rater reliability. Methods: The FPAT-S was tested by health professionals during the 2022 Canada Summer (n = 12) and 2023 Winter Games (n = 9). The tool included 19 questions with binary, multiple-choice, and Likert scale responses. Compliance trends over time and inter-rater reliability were analyzed. Results: Hand sanitizer availability exceeded 75% compliance and improved over time, whereas staff sanitation compliance declined by the end of both events. Physical distancing compliance remained below 50% throughout. Binary response questions showed moderate agreement (κ = 0.471, p = 0.028) between auditors compared to scale and multiple-choice questions during the Summer phase, while agreement was lower and non-significant for scale and multiple-choice responses in both phases. Auditor variability was attributed to subjectivity and audit timing. Conclusion: The FPAT-S provides a structured approach to assessing food safety and infection control in mass foodservice settings. With refinement, it can support dietitians and foodservice managers in maintaining compliance across a range of institutional and commercial operations, beyond sporting events, and inform future public health infection control strategies.