Knowledge of food safety and food handling practices amongst food handlers in the Republic of Ireland

Food safety concerns have existed for a long time, as millions of people across the globe suffer from food borne disease every year. Contamination of food owing to limited knowledge of food safety practices primarily increases the risk of food borne illnesses. In the present study, quantitative research was carried out to gauge the level of food safety knowledge amongst people living in Ireland. A total of 1069 participants from all over the Republic of Ireland contributed to the survey (of which 821 were included in this research). Results showed that the residents of Ireland overall had an average level on knowledge of food safety practices (67.0% passing rate). They had an average level of knowledge in food storage (52.8% passing rate), usage and maintenance of the kitchen facilities (59.0% passing rate), and personal hygiene (61.0% passing rate). Conversely, they had a critically low level of knowledge in food handling (10.8% passing rate) and food poisoning (20.1% passing rate). The results of the present study also showed that, the level of knowledge of food safety practices varies amongst the residents based upon their gender, age, place of residence, education level, and marital status, while no significant difference in the knowledge level was observed based upon their per capita income. The study thus, highlights that there is scope for improvement for the residents to advance their knowledge of food safety practices. Therefore, it can be recommended that researchers, educators, food safety communicators, and the media can engage in educating the population, to help the residents advance their food safety knowledge to safer food practices.     

An assessment of the value of documenting food safety in small and less developed catering businesses

Current legislation requires food businesses to identify and control food hazards by focussing on critical factors which directly affect the safety of food. This study, commissioned by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) compares the standards of food hygiene in seventy food premises operating either documented or undocumented hazard analysis systems within the Derby City Council boundary.Food hygiene standards were evaluated from purchase of foodstuffs to service of meals to customers. Scores were awarded for the implementation of controls integral to hazard analysis, based on epidemiological data. The only stages in production where a significant difference in standards existed was during preparation and cooking. That is, the standards of hygiene were better during preparation and cooking in those premises with documented hazard analysis systems compared to those operating undocumented systems. The findings highlight problems associated with ineffective monitoring of temperatures, particularly at cooking and cross contamination resulting from poor cleaning practices.The study has important implications for future development of hygiene legislation, particularly if Government is committed to require 30% of UK food businesses to implement full HACCP by April 2004.     

Effects of HACCP on process hygiene in different types of Serbian food establishments

This paper presents results from a research that analyzed effects of implementing HACCP on process hygiene in food establishments in Serbia. Process hygiene indicators were microbial profiles of 73,428 samples from food contact surfaces, hands of food handlers and cooling facilities collected from 1707 food establishments during a period of seven years. The study covered two periods during the observed period, 41 months before and 43 months after the implementation of the new Food Safety Law in Serbia requiring HACCP. Overall results presented in this paper confirm post-HACCP process hygiene improvement expressed as reduction of at least 0.7 log₁₀ CFU/cm² for food contact surfaces to over 1 log₁₀ CFU/cm² for cooling facilities. Our research confirms that after requiring HACCP, the main differences in process hygiene in respect to food contact surfaces were observed between takeaways (as food establishment with poorest hygiene) and other categories of food establishments. Institutional food services were the best scored establishments. Regarding food handlers' hygiene, results show similar level of hygiene improvements in all types of establishments.     

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.     

Food hygiene practices in different food establishments

The aim of this study was to investigate three dimensions of food hygiene in three European cities - Belgrade, Thessaloniki and Porto. The first dimension of the survey was to evaluate the level of hygiene in different food establishments supplying food direct to consumers. A total of 91 food businesses were included in the survey with 30 food businesses from Belgrade and Porto, and 31 from Thessaloniki. In parallel with scoring the premises, the second dimension of the study was to examine the opinion of managers of these food establishments regarding food hygiene rating. Finally, in order to justify the importance of food hygiene, the research covered consumers' perception regarding food safety and hygiene practices in the three European cities. A total of 600 respondents were interviewed in the survey, 200 respondents per city.This study confirmed that HACCP as a concept is important and major differences in the level of food hygiene in food establishments are based on HACCP status rather than type and size of food establishment. The analysis revealed hygiene and food preparation as the predominant in low ranking of food hygiene and safety procedures, followed by inadequate layout as predominant factor in evaluating structural requirements. Also, the obtained results indicated greater level of hygiene in food establishments in Thessaloniki and Porto, than in Belgrade. Managers' opinion confirms their belief that a transparent food hygiene rating of all food establishments could lead to improved business. Finally, respondents in all cities confirmed their awareness of the importance of food hygiene and indicated kitchen related statements as the most influential.     

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.     

Improving the control of food production in catering establishments with particular reference to the safety of salads

Food production in four school kitchens was checked in order to improve food safety by establishing a self-regulated control system based on good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and as an introduction to hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP). A form, which referred to different aspects such as the cleanliness of the installations, personnel hygiene and the prevention of cross-contamination, was used to obtain the necessary data. Furthermore, foods thought to be of high risk were periodically collected for microbiological analysis. Samples for microbiological examination were taken from cutting boards, tables, machines, knives and ingredients (on-line sampling). We used the results as a basis to train foodhandlers to improve the safety of salad preparation, in accordance with GMPs, observing that hygiene improvement depended on chlorine levels in the rinsing water. We also designed several controls for raw materials, cold storage, freezers and available chlorine levels in water. At the end of the study period, we observed a decrease in microbial populations of examined samples, which indicated that the knowledge of hygiene practices on the part of foodhandlers represents a critical control point, as defined by the EC Directive 93/43/EEC on Hygiene of Food Stuffs.     

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.     

HACCP system – hazard analysis and assessment,based on ISO 22000:2005 methodology

Food Safety is a fundamental public health concern, and achieving a safe supply poses major challenges for organisations involved in the food chain. A vide number of food borne hazards, both familiar and new, pose risks to health and obstructions to international trade in foods. These hazards must be properly analysed, assessed and managed to meet growing and increasingly complex sets of global food chain. Proper implementation of food hygiene principles across the food chain in conjunction with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System will ensure food safety. To achieve this, a procedure for hazard analysis and assessment based on ISO 22000:2005 methodology has been developed. The hazard assessment, selection and assessment of control measures, Operational prerequisite programme Plan and HACCP Plan have been summarized in comprehensive tables.     

Evaluation of basic knowledge on food safety and food handling practices amongst migrant food handlers in Peninsular Malaysia

This study was aimed to measure the basic knowledge on food safety and food handling practices among migrant food handlers as these information is scarce in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted face-to-face amongst 383 migrant food handlers from three major cities in Peninsular Malaysia through questionnaire. Socio-demographic information of all respondents was collected. Questions on food safety knowledge (i.e. food cleanliness and hygiene, symptom of foodborne illnesses and foodborne pathogens) and food handling practices were assessed. The compiled data were analyzed by using the Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) 16.0. Overall, migrant food handlers had poor level of knowledge on food safety with an average food handling practice. Significant effects were observed between respondents’ food safety knowledge and socio-demography (country of origin and educational level) and two factors namely; respondents’ nationality and attendance at food training programs showed significant associations with their food handling practices. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that attendance at food training programs was a significant and independent predictor of the respondent’s food handling practice. The study’s findings highlighted issues with regards to the extent of knowledge acquisition on food safety and hygiene by migrant food handlers. Therefore, this warrants improvements not only in the better delivery methods of training modules but also tight enforcement of attendance at the programs by the respective authorities.     

Food law compliance in developed and developing countries: Comparing school kitchens in Lincolnshire–UK and Ashanti Region of Ghana

The demands and requirements of Food Laws remain the same internationally as food hazards present the same risks to individuals including school going age children and adolescents, however different nations with different economic and developmental issues differ in the level of importance attached to Food Law requirements. A questionnaire to assess good hygiene practices in schools in Lincolnshire–UK and Ashanti Region of Ghana to compare compliance with training requirement in Food Laws was administered in 10 Lincolnshire and 45 Ashanti Region secondary schools. Whilst the demands on good hygiene practices remain stringently upheld in schools in the United Kingdom the same could not be said of Ghana. Although 60% of schools in Ashanti Region of Ghana fed between 1000 and 3000 students thrice a day, there was no evidence of food safety management system in all the schools. Staff food and personal hygiene practices including, temperature control, hand washing, avoidance of self-adornments, infectious disease control were substandard. A mandatory requirement by Food Laws in both countries for persons in supervisory position was not stringently complied with as 31% of kitchen matrons reported not to have hygiene qualification in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and 82% of 180 staff sampled had never received hygiene training. The absence of mandatory hygiene training for all food handlers, kitchen managers/matrons with requisite hygiene knowledge and qualification and rigorous enforcement of these remain challenges to good hygiene practices and Food Legislation in Ghana in addition to suitable facilities. The development of food hygiene training programmes towards mandatory certification at different levels of responsibility for the industry is required to help curb the identified challenges.     

Evaluation of street food vendors’ hygienic practices using fast observation questionnaire

The aim of this study was to check the compliance of street food vendors hygienic practices with requirements of the Codex code of practice - general principles on food hygiene and of the Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004. The materials were 110 street food vendors located in Athens, Greece. Specially designed questionnaire allowed fast data collection. The lowest ratings were found in the hygiene of food preparation and serving, that was related to basic infrastructure, especially the protection of light bulbs from glass spreading in case of breaking, and protection of hair from falling into food by wearing sufficient hair covers or caps. Much higher ratings were found in separation of fresh food from ready-to-eat one and in the section of personal hygiene - lack of visible cuts or skin disease symptoms on hands. One of the most interesting findings is that street vendors selling meat or fish meals obtained higher ratings than vegetable or fruit ones. A greater effort should be made to increase hygiene level especially in the case of small mobile food vendors. Because of variation in hygiene level there is a need for more inspections covering greater number of street food vendors. Due to high popularity of street food and its importance for tourism, more effort should be made to improve the degree of compliance with the hygiene requirements. The fast observation questionaire used in this study allowed rapid assessment of implementation of hygiene principles. Further research is needed to explain why, despite food safety authorities licencing and inspection, implementation of hygiene principles by street food vendors is often incomplete and what factors affect the correct operation.     

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.     

Baseline for consumer food safety knowledge and behaviour in Canada

Understanding consumers' food safety practices is helpful in reducing food-borne illness. A systematic literature search was conducted to establish a baseline of consumer food safety practices in Canada, identify research gaps and make recommendations for future research. To date, this is the first study examining Canadian populations which gathers survey results measuring consumer food safety practices from both peer-reviewed, published literature and non-peer-reviewed public opinion research reports. The search found 26 Canadian publications from 1998 to 2011. Questions covered frequency of food preparation, sources of food safety information, consumer confidence and assigned food safety responsibility, awareness of food safety, knowledge of high-risk groups and high-risk foods, and personal experience with food-borne illness. Food safety behaviours were evaluated according to the ‘clean’, ‘separate’, ‘chill’ and ‘cook’ principles emphasized by the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education's FightBAC^® Program. Overall, results differed considerably between studies due to variations in study designs, populations, survey questions and definitions of correct behaviour. However, the analysis provided a general indication of areas requiring targeted consumer food safety education such as increasing thermometer use when cooking meats, raising awareness of high-risk populations and knowledge of high-risk foods, and expanding messaging to the internet and social media. Consumer food safety studies in Canada were limited to self-reported behaviours. Future research could include observational studies to validate results from self-reported food safety practices, and provide more accurate information on consumer food handling practices. Finally, establishing a set of standard food safety questions that can be compared between future surveys would contribute to a comprehensive baseline against which future food safety interventions could be measured.     

A structural modeling on food safety knowledge,attitude, and behaviour among Bum Bum Island community of Semporna,Sabah

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship among food safety knowledge, attitude and behavior in Bum Bum Island community, Semporna, Sabah. Proportional stratified sampling method was used in this survey. A total of 250 respondents were selected randomly from ten villages in Bum Bum Island. Face-to-face interview was conducted to complete the questionnaire. In general, respondents exhibited average food safety knowledge level especially in their awareness of personal hygiene and kitchenware hygiene. Food safety attitude of the community was found strongly affected their food safety behavior in positive way, which was proven by the highest standard β among variables tested (β₁ = 0.885, p < 0.05). However, food safety knowledge was negatively affected the food safety behavior of the respondents (β₁ = −0.128, p < 0.05). Our result confirmed that Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was successfully used to model the relationship among food safety knowledge, attitude and behavior.     

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.     

Socio-economic profile and food safety knowledge and practice of street food vendors in the city of Guwahati,Assam, India

Street food is an integral part of society in all countries – underdeveloped, developing or developed. As such the standard of hygiene maintained is a very vital matter. Every region has its sets of factors affecting the hygiene maintain. In the present study a survey was carried out in Guwahati city to determine the existing socio-economic status and food safety knowledge of street food vendors. Data on socio-economic and business profile of 80 vendors were collected using three standardized proformas.A study was also conducted on the existing knowledge of vendors on food safety and hygiene practices and methods of procurement of raw materials. The knowledge and procurement practices of the vendors were assessed for association with some relevant socio-economic factors. From the study it was observed that majority of street food vendors were mobile food vendors (54%) with the remaining being owners of small restaurants and food handlers. Majority of the food vendors were local to Guwahati city (93%). The average daily income of the mobile food vendors were between Rs. 200 to Rs. 600. It also was noted that only 30%–37% vendors were aware of hygienic practices of food handling and a mere 8%–11% of food vendors had knowledge on biological sources of food contamination.It was concluded that there is a high degree of association between procurement practices with the type of vendors, ownership status and average income. But no outstanding association exists with any socio-economic factor with the knowledge of the vendors on food hygiene. The street food scenario in the city was found to be quite dismal and requires stringent steps to improve matters.     

Commercial and institutional caterings food hygiene practice and the 1992 Food and Drugs Act of Ghana,Sections 1, 6 and 7

The compliance of a cross section of commercial and institutional caterings in Ghana to the PNDC Law 305B Sections 1, 6 and 7 was studied with the use of purposively sampled food workers in the two set ups. Both commercial and institutional caterings had considerable number of hygiene trained personnel in supervisory position in compliance with section 6 of the Food Law. Sections 1 and 7 on the sale of unwholesome food through lack of available control measures on handling non conforming raw materials and the preparation of food under unsanitary conditions respectively needed much improvement in both set ups. It was recommended that an introduction to the Food Law in Ghana should be added to enforced food hygiene training for food handlers that commensurate with their activities.     

The food safety knowledge and microbial hazards awareness of consumers of ready-to-eat street-vended food

Controlling and ensuring the safety of street-vended foods in many countries is a challenge considering that these foods are often less expensive and readily available. The objective of this study was to determine the food safety knowledge based on microbial hazard awareness of street food consumers in the Johannesburg municipality, South Africa. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted using a structured food safety questionnaire designed for this study. A total of 402 respondents, individuals who buy and consume ready-to-eat street-vended foods were randomly selected at various street-food vending cites in the Johannesburg municipality. Data collection was by means of a face-to face interviews. The majority of respondents were black males younger than 35 years. Individuals of within different gender, race, level of education and monthly income groups significantly (p < 0.05) differed in their responses regarding the frequency of purchasing and confidence in the safety of street-vended food. Better taste followed closely by affordability and accessibility were the most cited reasons for purchasing street-vended food. Although the majority of respondents were aware that certain food borne bacteria can cause diseases that may lead to death, over 70% of them have never heard about Salmonella spp, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter jejuni. Although some consumers doubt the safety of street vended foods, they are not deterred from consuming them. Gender, race, the level of education and monthly income affect the way consumers of street-vended foods perceived the safety of street-vended foods and their desire to purchase them.