Exploring the Feasibility of Using a Simulated Environment to Enhance Food Safety Training and Research Opportunities

By law, food manufacturing business are required to ensure that appropriate
supervision and training are provided to food handlers to enable them to handle
food in the safest way within their working environment.

In the food manufacturing sector, real life scenarios aren’t always accessible to
deliver training and study expertise as production is the priority. However,
immersive user-testing facilities such as the Perceptual Experience Laboratory
(PEL) allow real environments to be simulated using projected media, contextual
props and multi-sensory variables under laboratory conditions. This method aims to provide necessary situational realism (presence) and context to engage subjects with set tasks and elicit knowledge in line with existing proficiency in the field.

In contrast to field environments the simulation enables greater control over extraneous variables which improves session consistency and validity of study data. What's more, this method is suited to behavioural research approaches such as discrete surveillance and wearable eye-tracking technologies, recording unbiased subject engagement. Consequently, there is a need to explore the feasibility of using the PEL and behavioural technology to deliver robust and meaningful food safety training in the food manufacturing sector.