Knowledge,attitudes and practices of food handlers on food safety in food service operations at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

This study was conducted to determine the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers in food service operation at the main campus of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) regarding food safety. Data were collected from 112 food handlers through questionnaires which consisted of questions about knowledge, attitudes and practices. The results showed that there was significantly positive correlation among the three levels and respondents possess good scores for knowledge (19.68 ± 3.87) about personal hygiene, foodborne diseases and temperature control of food; for attitudes (89.26 ± 8.66) on safe food handling, and for practices (90.02 ± 8.23), specifically for appropriate hand washing, use of gloves in food preparation and prevention of food hazards. About 73.2% of respondents never attend any training related to food safety and majority show poor knowledge of pathogens associated with disease-causing agents as well as critical temperatures for storage of ready-to-eat foods. Therefore, effective and ongoing training on food safety and hygiene must be given to all food service employees to ensure the safety of food provided.     

Development of conscious food handling in Hungarian school cafeterias

The last steps of food chain are particularly important, because this is when the food products reach the consumer. In the catering sector, the responsibility of food handlers are very high in the prevention of foodborne diseases. In this situation, the food handler's work must be conscious. This paper focuses on the issue of consciousness in food handling, which is the relationship between the level of knowledge and the implementation of right practice. The aim of this study is to establish a special food hygiene training model and measure its efficiency. The essence of the training model is to increase the consciousness of food handlers.Food hygiene training was tested at 33 school kitchens, where 145 staff participated. The program lasted for 6 months. Theoretical knowledge was evaluated, using self-administered tests, and food handling practice was measured through observation. Results before and after the intervention program were compared.Deficiencies in hygienic knowledge and in food handling practice were identified in seven areas. Significant increases were observed in theoretical knowledge in the areas of receiving (33.5%) and food waste (11.7%). With regards to the food handling practice, some remarkable positive changes were observed in the fields of storage (33.3%), dishwashing (24.7%), and cleaning (22.0%). Dishwashing, personal hygiene, and cleaning were the areas where such increases were observed, both in their knowledge and practice, that is, consciousness was increased in these areas.The parallel development of hygienic knowledge and food handling practice increased the consciousness in food handling, which is indispensable for ensuring safe food practices. Increasing consciousness make good practice instinctive in everyday work.     

Knowledge,attitude and practices of food safety amongst food handlers in the coastal resort of Guangdong,China

In order to identify risk factors contributing to foodborne disease outbreaks in Guangdong province, China, the present study evaluated the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of food safety among food handlers in a coastal resort area that has a high incidence of foodborne disease outbreaks from Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The KAP of 171 food handlers from 22 food establishments—including seven food establishments in which outbreaks had occurred and 15 in which outbreaks had not occurred—were evaluated.A self-administered questionnaire designed to access the KAP of food safety was completed by the food handlers. The majority of respondents didn't know the maximum stored time at room temperature and the most common agent of foodborne disease in seafood. Most of the respondents' attitudes about food safety and training were positive. When asked about the practices undertaken, about one-fifth of the respondents admitted they had mixed food (raw and cooked) containers in varying degrees. There was significant variance among different food establishments, different ages, and different times of training. Training programs may achieve good results, but training should be more selective, educate the trainees to realize food safety is more important than fresh seafood, target how to cook seafood and lower the risk of microbiology in food, and conduct particularly focused training among managers and newcomers.     

Educational needs assessment and practices of grocery store food handlers through survey and observational data collection

Grocery store associates in deli/bakery departments prepare and serve an increasing number of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods and full meals. The shift to more convenience foods and take-home meals highlights the need for effective food safety training programs in retail grocery establishments to prevent foodborne illness. Through qualitative and quantitative methods, food safety knowledge, training preferences, needs, and current practices of grocery stores deli/bakery food handlers in Southwest and Southern Virginia were explored. Deli employees (n = 78) completed a 34 question survey eliciting information on demographics, food safety training needs, preferences and knowledge. In an additional phase of this project, a subset of those originally surveyed (n = 15) were observed for food handling practices (6 h per person). Observational data collection focused on cross-contamination, glove use and hand washing. Most grocery store deli/bakery food handlers reported wanting frequent hands-on, interactive one-on-one training lasting less than 2 h. The target audience's largest knowledge gaps included correct temperatures for cooking, reheating and cooling foods. Observed behaviors did not correlate with food safety knowledge. For example, greater than 95% of participants reported using correct hand washing techniques; however, observational behavior data showed less than 50% of hand washing events observed were correct. Additionally, food handlers were observed not washing hands prior to putting gloves on as well as practicing bare hand contact with RTE foods. The creation of short, hands-on or interactive trainings for retail grocery food handlers that focuses on changing food handling and preparation behaviors may enhance the food handler's safe food handling practices.     

Food safety knowledge and practices of food handlers,head chefs and managers in hotels' restaurants of Salvador,Brazil

This study aimed to assess the knowledge level, attitudes and practices of food handlers, and knowledge and practices of head chefs and managers in hotels' restaurants of Salvador, Brazil. Data collection was done through the application of interviews with 265 food handlers and with 32 head chefs and managers. In addition, the influence of the presence of nutritionist in restaurants was evaluated. The results showed that 88.0%, 96.6% and 76.0% of handlers had knowledge, attitudes and practices appropriate for personal hygiene, respectively. However, some errors were observed such as the non-use of disposable gloves when handling or distributing food (39.6%), tasting food with their hands (28.7%), and usually talking while handling food (52.5%). Statistical analysis did not indicate a significant association between the knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices by handlers. However, it was found association between handlers that presented good satisfaction with the job and handlers that introduced appropriate practices. Regarding to chefs and managers, the results indicate that the knowledge was unsatisfactory, even 75% of respondents have training certificate in food safety. A significant percentage of respondents were unaware of the legislation adopted in restaurants (37.5%), and only 43.8% of them knew the recommended cooling temperature for food preservation. However, adequate practices to reduce cross-contamination was observed. Still, the presence of the nutritionist in restaurants influenced positively on the adoption of the current legislation in hotels' restaurants, as well as in the participation of the handlers in training, showing in this way the creation of a positive culture among the handlers.     

Study on food safety concerns,knowledge and practices among university students in Saudi Arabia

Food Safety is important not only for the health of consumers but also the entire food industry and regulatory authorities. University students are an important target group as they are most likely to engage in risky eating behaviors and food handling practices making them susceptible to foodborne illness. The objectives of this study were to assess the level of food safety concerns, knowledge and practices among male and female university students of King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Information concerning sociodemographic and academic characteristics and food safety knowledge were collected using self-administered questionnaire. Food safety questions were divided into four sections that covered key food safety concepts. A total of 808 students took questionnaires of which 66.08% responded (mean age 21.1 ± 2.9). Major food concerns for students were food taste, food temperature, food presentation, wellness of cooked food, cleanliness of serving area and appearance of food handlers. Students displayed good knowledge concerning food safety. Respondents were most knowledgeable about the cleanliness of kitchen surfaces and utensils, prevention of cross contamination and hand hygiene but demonstrated poor knowledge about heat treatment of food and temperature. Good knowledge of food safety was reflected in food safety practiced by the students except temperature control. Chi-square test results revealed that both male and female students demonstrated comparable food safety knowledge and practices. This is probably the first gender-based report on the food safety concerns, knowledge and practice among students of King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. The study highlights the need for educational programs that aim not only to provide knowledge but also encourage the students to practice the food safety measures strictly.     

Foodborne diseases in Malaysia: A review

This paper reviews foodborne diseases occurring in Malaysia and the strategies taken by the Malaysian government. Half of the foodborne related diseases from the early 1990s until today were associated with outbreaks in institutions and schools, mostly due to unhygienic food handling procedures. Outbreak surveillance and monitoring, training and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) implementation at food service establishments all play a vital role to prevent and/or reduce foodborne diseases. Some of the key agencies from the Malaysian Ministry of Health, academia, industries and research institutions continue to strengthen their collaboration and networking in order to coordinate the prevention and control of foodborne diseases and thus improve public health. Developments to date have shown improvement in surveillance and monitoring. In Malaysia, the main contributing factor to foodborne diseases was identified as insanitary food handling procedures which accounted for more than 50% of the poisoning episodes. Food handlers play a major role in the prevention of food poisoning during food preparation; hence, food handler training is seen as one of the main strategies to increase food safety practices. There are 125 accredited food handlers’ training institutes as of September 2010. The application of knowledge and skills from training into the workplace is important and reasons for limitations of training initiatives are discussed.     

Efficacy of the theory of planned behaviour model in predicting safe food handling practices

The majority of food-borne disease outbreaks result from malpractice during food preparation in small food businesses. Effective food safety management, including the adoption of safe food handling practices learnt during food safety training programmes, is thus an important strategy to limit incidences of food poisoning. This study explores the impact of basic or foundation level food hygiene training on the attitudes, and intentions of food handlers to conduct safe food handling practices at every occasion.The Theory of Planned Behaviour was used to evaluate the relative impact of different influences on the intentions and self-reported behaviours of 249 food handlers, in hospitality settings. Interviews were also conducted with food handlers, and their managers to seek further insight into the changes in attitude and intent to conduct safe food handling practices after basic or foundation level food hygiene training.     

Knowledge of food safety and handling in households: A survey of food handlers in Mainland China

The objective of the study was to provide a picture of knowledge of food safety and handling in households and identify a demographic profile of “high-risk” groups with the poorest knowledge. A national survey of food handlers in Mainland China (n = 482) was conducted using previously validated closed questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of 26 knowledge questions, which included 5 scales that covered key concepts of food safety and handling in households, and 7 demographic questions. The respondents demonstrated a very low level of knowledge and the mean score awarded to them was 7.95 (knowledge scores from 0 to 26). The data were further analyzed to determine differences in knowledge between populations of different demographics. Differences were found between male and female respondents (p < 0.01), urban and rural respondents (p < 0.01) and respondents with different income levels (p = 0.04). Two “high-risk” groups with the lowest level of knowledge are 1) male food handlers with a per capita annual income of less than 30,000 CNY (4773 USD) and 2) female food handlers who live in rural areas and have a per capita annual income below 30,000 CNY (4773 USD) and deserve special attention. This is the first national survey in Mainland China and the results suggested that developing educational programs related to food safety and handling in households of Mainland China are urgently needed.     

Evaluation of the effect of person-in-charge (PIC) program on knowledge and practice change of food handlers in Dubai

The effect of Person in Charge (PIC) intervention on knowledge and practice of food handlers in Dubai was evaluated. Data were collected from 48 food establishments located in 4 zones in the city. Each establishment was visited twice in the assessment. In each visit, the same set of 12-knowledge questionnaire was asked and 20 observable practices evaluated. Hand and cutting board swabbing were also conducted to evaluate the personal hygiene of food handlers. Results showed that all the groups gained additional knowledge on food safety during training except group 4. Irrespective of knowledge gained, some of the trained PICs were unable to change food safety and handling practices at place of work. In group 1, the performance got worsen by 12%. Group 2 and 3 showed 4.3% and 10.3% improvement in food safety practices respectively. While, group 4 remained almost same as before the PIC intervention. With regards to cutting board swabbing, results showed that group 1 dropped by 16.6% while the remaining groups improved by 41.6%. In the case of hand swabbing all establishments in group 1 showed satisfactory results after training. Group 2, group 3 and group 4 showed 41.7% improvement. Statistics revealed that there was a significant improvement in the performance of food handlers in hand swabbing after the intervention with mean values of 60.4% and 85.5% before and after respectively. In the case of cutting board swabbing, there was a considerable improvement but not statistically significant at (p < 0.05) with mean values of 41.6% and 62.5% before and after respectively.     

The evaluation of food hygiene knowledge,attitudes, and practices of food handlers’ in food businesses in Turkey

The purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning food safety issues among food handlers in Turkey, conducting face to face interview and administrating questionnaire. Of the 764 food handlers who responded, 9.6% were involved in touching or distributing unwrapped foods routinely and use protective gloves during their working activity. A majority of participants (47.8%) had not taken a basic food safety training. The mean food safety knowledge scores was 43.4 ± 16.3. The study demonstrated that food handlers in Turkish food businesses often have lack of knowledge regarding the basic food hygiene (critical temperatures of hot or cold ready-to-eat foods, acceptable refrigerator temperature ranges, and cross-contamination etc.). There is a immediate need for education and increasing awareness among food handlers regarding safe food handling practices.     

Evaluation of food safety training on hygienic conditions in food establishments

Food handlers' training is fundamental in order to ensure the safety of the foodstuff. However, the success of training programs that provide only information is unclear and changes in improper food practices are not usually achieved. Food training programs based on theoretical as well as practical activities have been revealed as an important tool in which food handlers can put information into practice. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the influence of food safety training, based on both theoretical and practical approaches, on the microbiological counts of food contact surfaces, food tools, food equipment surfaces and hand washing in canteens and cafes of one university campus. After food safety training, total plate counts decreased about 60% in the case of canteens and almost 45% in cafes while moulds and yeasts decreased approximately 65% in canteens and 55% in cafes. In terms of location, the microbiological reductions observed were higher for food equipment in canteens and for food tools in cafes. The microbiological counts of food handlers' hands decreased after both food safety training and disinfection. Food safety training influenced the reduction of overall microbiological parameters. Parametric t-tests (after vs before training) indicated that reductions were statistically significant before and after disinfection for total plate counts. The decrease observed for total coliforms and Enterobacteriaceae, were statistically significant only before disinfection. The food safety programs cannot be based entirely on a theoretical approach but also on adequate training which includes a practical approach. The success of the microbiological reductions in the study was associated to the practical lessons which let the handler put into practice the knowledge acquired in the theoretical part.     

Determinants of food hygiene knowledge among youths: A cross-sectional online study

IntroductionA cross sectional study was carried out among 1178 tertiary students (98.2% response rate) at a premier university based in Kuala Lumpur city. This paper specifically deals with knowledge of food hygiene and its determinants.MethodsA web-based questionnaire pertaining to knowledge, attitudes and behavior related to food hygiene was emailed to registered students. Questions on knowledge were related to personal food hygiene (11 items), causes of foodborne diseases (9 items), symptoms of foodborne disease (12 items) and food handling practice (12 items). A score of 1 was given to right answer and 0 to the wrong answer. The students was selected by stratified into three field of studies; Art, Science and Technical.ResultsMean age of students was 23 years old (sd = 3.57), female (65.9%), mostly undergraduates (73.2%), field of study (Arts 42.1%, Science 37.4%, Technical 20.5%), majority of the parents have had secondary education. Overall mean knowledge score = 69.5 ± 6.3 (personal food hygiene 73.0; causes of foodborne diseases 71.9; symptoms of foodborne disease 62.1; food handling practices 70.7). Overall knowledge was significantly associated with gender, level and field of study and father's educational level. Significant association was found between personal food hygiene and field of study with science students being more knowledgeable. Older age and undergraduates were significantly more knowledgeable on causes of foodborne diseases. As for knowledge on symptoms of foodborne diseases, younger pre-university students and father's educational level were significantly associated. In terms of knowledge on food handling, female students and science students were more knowledgeable. Multiple regression analysis showed that gender, level of study, field of study and father's educational level were significant predictors of knowledge on food hygiene.ConclusionThese results warrant the need for further educational programme in creating greater awareness on food hygiene among Malaysian youths.     

Will capacity building training interventions given to street food vendors give us safer food?: A cross-sectional study from India

Successful food hygiene training and the consent of safe food handling practices learnt during training are critical elements in the control of food-borne illnesses throughout the world. It is true for food handlers and vendors belonging to all sectors. But, it is all the more urgent for street vendors because they are more exposed to environmental hazards and are predominantly from much weaker socio-economic backgrounds and yet cater to the general mass. Using a cross-sectional study design a sample of 80 street food vendors were selected and provided with training to evaluate the existing Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) regarding food safety and hygiene and the change of the same after training interventions. Responses regarding KAP on food safety and hygiene before and after training revealed that there was a significant change in their perception to food safety knowledge and also practices. The knowledge level of the food vendors increased from an average 24.35%–66.2% after training interventions. The overall performance rating of full adoption of good hygiene practices by the vendors ranged from 37.5% to 50.8% in post-training period.     

Food handlers’ knowledge on food hygiene: The case of a catering company in Portugal

The aim of this study was to assess the food hygiene knowledge of professional food handlers from an institutional catering company which manufactures and distributes meals to the canteens of schools, kindergartens and nursing homes in Portugal. A total of 101 food handlers from 18 geographically distributed business units were assessed. Data collection employed a previously used, multiple-choice questionnaire, aimed at exploring the food safety knowledge and practices of individual respondents. The average score of questions answered correctly was 13 out of 23 (56.5%) with a standard deviation (SD) of 3.22. However, the percentage of correct answers varies with the issues questioned, being significantly lower on issues such as temperature control (p < 0.001) and sources of contamination/high-risk foods (p < 0.001). The level of knowledge was influenced by the level of formal education (p = 0.025) of respondents. The results reinforce the importance of conducting a preliminary assessment of training needs and evaluating the effectiveness of training.     

The role of theoretical food safety training on Brazilian food handlers' knowledge,attitude and practice

The objectives of this study were 1. to identify the relationship of theoretical training with knowledge, attitudes, self-reported practices and observed practices and 2. to identify variables that influence observed practices. This study was cross-sectional and involved 183 randomly selected food handlers from different food businesses in Santos City, Brazil, as follows: street food kiosks, beach kiosks, restaurants, hospitals and school meal services. To evaluate knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practices, a structured questionnaire was used. Observed practices were evaluated using a checklist. A researcher observed and followed each food handler throughout the process of food handling/preparation during a workday. The majority of participants (68.3%) had participated in at least one food safety training session. The average percentage of correct answers on the knowledge questionnaire was 64%. Food handlers who had undergone training presented higher knowledge scores but did not differ from those who had not regarding attitudes, self-reported practices and observed practices. A regression model was used to study the variables associated with observed practices (p < 0.001). The variables related to observed practices were the knowledge score (β = 0.27, p < 0.01), experience (in years as a food handler) (β = 0.19, p = 0.01), the relationship between the number of meals and the number of food handlers (β = −0.19, p = 0.01), buildings and facilities adequacy (β = 0.20, p = 0.01) and the presence of a nutritionist (β = 0.42, p < 0.001). This study showed that training based on theoretical aspects is not related to the attitudes, self-reported practices and observed practices of Brazilian food handlers from different food services. However, training seems to be an effective tool for improving knowledge. The current wording of Brazilian legislation motivates food handlers to undergo training only for certification. Food safety laws should not only require certification but also enable the establishment of policies to monitor and ensure the adequacy of food services.     

Knowledge,attitudes and self-reported practices of food service staff regarding food hygiene in Edirne,Turkey

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices among food service staff with regards to food hygiene in hospitals in Edirne, Turkey, and to provide baseline data for implementing HACCP in hospital food services by carrying out a questionnaire by a face-to-face interview. The current study shows that food service staff in Edirne hospitals have insufficient knowledge regarding the basics of food hygiene. And also revealed a discrepancy between attitudes and practices towards food hygiene. There is an immediate need for continuous training among food handlers regarding safe food handling practices.     

Food safety knowledge,attitudes and self-reported practices of food handlers in institutional foodservice in Accra,Ghana

The aim of this study was to evaluate the food safety knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of food handlers from institutional food service establishments that serve hospitals, boarding senior high schools and prisons in Accra, Ghana. A total of 278 food handlers (56.8% of hospital, 30.9% of schools and 12.3% of prison food service) participated in the cross-sectional study. Data was collected by face-to-face interviews, and responses were scored to determine the level of food safety KAP. Respondents who scored ≥70% of the maximum possible score were adjudged to have sufficient knowledge and practices and positive attitudes. Results showed that respondents generally had insufficient food safety knowledge and practices with means scores of 20.99 ± 7.64 (46%) and 9.35 ± 5.62 (52%) respectively. Attitudes towards food safety were generally negative but with a comparatively higher mean score of 12.64 ± 3.06 (63%). Areas of most concern were 1) Lack of knowledge of sources of contamination/cross-contamination and appropriate holding temperatures for food. 2) Poor practices included multiple freeze-thaw cycles for frozen food and 3) Infrequent hand washing during food preparation after coughing or sneezing. There is the need for continuous risk based training to educate and effect behavioral changes among food handlers. This process will encourage positive attitudes towards food safety and consequently promote good food safety practices.     

Evaluating levels of knowledge on food safety among food handlers from restaurants and various catering businesses in Vienna,Austria 2011/2012

The aim of this study was to detect the most important gaps in knowledge on food safety among food handlers in Vienna, Austria and to identify possible differences in levels of knowledge between food handlers from restaurants and catering companies. The survey was conducted from May 2011 to January 2012 in Vienna and 234 food handlers participated. The average knowledge score for all food handlers was 76%. We revealed no significant difference between the two sample groups; food handlers from catering businesses scored similar (75%) to those from restaurants (76%). Persons with a training at their current workplace (internal and external) scored significantly higher (82%) then persons without an on the job training (71%). Food handlers passing the mandatorily required yearly food safety training had a higher knowledge than persons without this on-the-job training (p ≤ 0.001); 23% of the food handlers didn't participate in any training during the last year. The study identified substantial knowledge gaps concerning correct temperatures for cooking, holding and storing foods. Data from this project underline the value of harmonized action in the field of food safety, but also indicate considerable potential for further improvement in Austria.