Heritage Food on my Plate!? Exploring Authenticity and Safety Risks in Foodservice Establishments

Abstract

In recent years, the global surge in interest surrounding heritage food has underscored its pivotal role in representing cultural identity and tradition for both locals and tourists. Recognizing the significance of traditional cuisine as a cultural emblem, this thesis delves into the intricate dimensions of heritage food, emphasizing authenticity and safety as paramount concerns. Chapter 2 commences with a comprehensive literature review, delineating three core dimensions of heritage: legacy, people, and place. Traditional, ethnic, and local foods are examined within these dimensions, revealing their nuanced associations. A framework is developed, outlining six authenticity and safety risk factors derived from existing literature. Chapter 3 conducts semi-structured interviews with culinary professionals in Saudi Arabia and Italy, confirming the previously identified heritage food dimensions. Notably, a new dimension emerges, emphasizing the evolving nature of authenticity influenced by cultural and societal shifts. Additionally, authenticity risk factors previously found from literature were confirmed. Three novel authenticity risk factors were mentioned by the culinary professionals: 'adaptation to customer preference,' 'costs of ingredients,' and 'non-native origin of the chef,' necessitating further exploration across diverse foodservice establishments (FSEs). In Chapter 4, an online questionnaire gathers data from culinary professionals in Saudi Arabia, illuminating varying occurrences of food safety and authenticity risk situations across different FSEs. Notably, hotels demonstrated a lower frequency of food safety risk situations due to their strict food safety management systems. On the contrary, ordinary and heritage restaurants were found to have a higher occurrence of food safety risk situations, particularly personal hygiene requirements were lacking. In productive families, the absence of control systems or inspections contributed to a higher frequency of food safety risk situations. Regarding authenticity risks, the study revealed that productive families and heritage restaurants experienced a lower occurrence compared to other FSEs. On the other hand, hotels were frequently exposed to authenticity risk situations, such as the preparation of heritage dishes by non-Saudi culinary professionals and the use of modern equipment. Ordinary restaurants faced the highest risk in terms of authenticity, primarily due to limited knowledge and skills among the cooks. Chapter 5 broadens the study's scope to encompass home-based and commercial catering in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The aim was to gain insights into authenticity and safety practices in preparing heritage food, this study expanded its objective to include home-based and commercial catering in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Malaysia, countries known for their rich heritage food traditions. The study employed semi-structured interviews with a total of 60 culinary professionals, with 30 participants from home-based catering (10 from each country) and 30 from commercial catering (10 from each country). Regarding authenticity practices, the results revealed similarities among all three countries and both types of catering. These practices included checking the availability of essential ingredients in advance and ensuring the taste, flavour, and texture align with the traditional recipe. However, notable differences emerged, with culinary professionals in Saudi Arabia emphasizing the importance of authenticity practices more than in Indonesia and Malaysia. This emphasis included factors such as having experienced cooks, following specific written recipes, supervising new cooks, providing advice to adhere to the original recipe, and presenting authentic dishes without modifications. Regarding food safety practices, similarities were observed among culinary professionals from all three countries and both types of catering. These practices included checking the colour and freshness of ingredients, cleaning equipment with water and chemicals (soap), and wearing protective cooking uniforms (aprons). However, Saudi Arabian culinary professionals, in particular, mentioned a wider range of food safety practices compared to professionals from the other countries. These additional practices included checking the smell of ingredients, washing hands and wearing gloves, regularly changing gloves, washing cooking equipment with special chemicals, closing the catering establishment when the owner is ill, and prohibiting cooks from working while ill. These practices aim to prevent cross-contamination and ensure the production of safe heritage dishes. This thesis provides a nuanced understanding of heritage food, unraveling its complex dimensions and associated risks. By spotlighting authenticity and safety concerns, it offers valuable insights for culinary professionals, establishments, and policymakers, paving the way for a more authentic, safe, and culturally rich heritage food experience globally.