Estimated Cost to a Restaurant of a Foodborne Illness Outbreak Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key pathogen terms, restaurant classifications, cost drivers, and research methods from the study on the financial burden of foodborne illness outbreaks to restaurants.

Bacillus cereus

The pathogen identified in the study as causing the least costly foodborne illness outbreak, with overall restaurant costs ranging from $3891 to $2,578,714 due to its short duration, low probability of hospitalization, and lack of mortality.

Listeria

The pathogen identified in the study as causing the most costly foodborne illness outbreak, with costs ranging from $4768 to $2,915,601, primarily driven by high productivity losses stemming from high hospitalization and mortality rates.

Fast-Food Restaurant

A dining establishment category defined as quick service with a specific menu offering minimal to no table service, facing estimated outbreak costs between $3968 and $1.9 million.

Fast-Casual Restaurant

A dining establishment category defined as offering a specific menu positioned between fast food and casual dining with minimal table service, incurring estimated outbreak costs ranging from $6330 to $2.1 million.

Casual-Dining Restaurant

A dining establishment category defined as featuring a broad menu and table service, with estimated foodborne illness outbreak costs ranging from $8030 to $2.2 million.

Fine-Dining Restaurant

A dining establishment category defined as offering dedicated meal courses and full table service, facing estimated outbreak costs ranging from $8273 to $2.6 million.

Lawsuits and Legal Fees

The single largest cost driver of a foodborne illness outbreak for a restaurant according to the study model, ranging up to $1,656,569 per outbreak.

Computational Monte Carlo Simulation Model

The quantitative simulation tool developed using Microsoft Excel with a Crystal Ball add-in to model the financial impact of a single foodborne illness outbreak originating from a single restaurant.

Salmonella

One of the two most common causes of restaurant foodborne illness outbreaks, costing $63 to $21,198 more per outbreak than norovirus under equivalent conditions due to higher hospitalization rates.

Norovirus

One of the two most common causes of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants, accruing lower direct costs than salmonella due to a lower probability of hospitalization.

Reinspection Fees

A relatively fixed cost incurred by a restaurant following an outbreak, modeled as a flat fee of $129.78 regardless of restaurant size or category.

Productivity Losses

Costs calculated using daily worker wages as a proxy for missed workdays resulting from employee illness, hospitalization, or premature death during an outbreak.

Tornado Diagram

A visual representation of sensitivity analysis results where parameter impacts are stacked in order of size, demonstrating that lawsuits, legal fees, and outbreak size have the largest effect on total cost.