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.     

Food safety knowledge among food service staff in hospitals in Jordan

This study aimed to measure food safety knowledge among food service staff in hospitals in Jordan. A total of 532 food service personal (dietitians, cooks and food workers) from 37 hospitals (public, private, and university hospitals) were conveniently selected to participate in this cross sectional study. The participants completed a questionnaire composed of two parts (general characteristics and food safety knowledge). The overall food safety knowledge of food service staff is fair with a mean score of 56.3 out of 90 points (62.5%). Respondents had sufficient knowledge on “cross contamination prevention and sanitation” aspect, while they had very poor to good knowledge on “foodborne pathogens and related symptoms and illnesses”, “safe storage, thawing, cooking, holding and reheating of the foods”, “health problems that would affect food safety” and “personal hygiene” aspects. There were no significant associations between the total food safety knowledge score and age, educational level, marital status, income, experience, nature of work and attending course(s) on food safety. Respondents from public hospitals and who believed that HACCP is not important for food safety had significantly lower food safety knowledge score than those from private sector (OR: 3.3, CI: 1.76–6.01) and those who believed that HACCP is important (OR: 3, CI: 1.64–5.36), respectively. Food workers and respondents who have experience ≤48 months had significantly lower food safety knowledge score than dietitians (OR: 2.6, CI: 1.33–5.2) and those who have experience > 48 months (OR: 1.9, CI: 1.06–3.51), respectively. There is an urgent need for tailored food safety education and training programs that improve food safety knowledge of food service staff in hospitals in Jordan.     

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 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.     

Food safety knowledge and food-handling practices of Greek university students: A questionnaire-based survey

A survey was conducted to assess the self-reported food safety knowledge and food-handling practices of Greek young adults (mean age 22.4 ± 3.2 standard deviation, SD) and to explore the relationships between their food safety awareness and population characteristics. Participants were senior undergraduate students recruited from health-related and non-health-related faculties of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Northern Greece. They completed a questionnaire containing sixteen food safety knowledge and sixteen food-handling questions grouped into four subsections: food microbiology/cross-contamination, food preparation (cooking), food storage (chilling), and cleaning/hygiene. Students correctly answered only 38% of food handling (mean number of correct responses = 6.0, SD = 2.4) and 37% of food safety knowledge questions (mean number of correct responses = 5.9, SD = 2.9). In general, students seemed to adhere to best practices as regards hand washing and prevention of cross-contamination but very few reported the use of food thermometers during cooking. Participants were, usually, knowledgeable about the impact of freezing on bacteria but not about common food vehicles of foodborne pathogens. Students from faculties delivering health-related programs significantly outperformed those from humanity-sciences programs, on both food safety knowledge and practice outcomes. Females obtained considerably better food-handling scores than males even though the overall food safety knowledge score was similar for males and females. An educational background relevant to food safety was a significant predictor of responding accurately to a wide range of study questions. These results substantiate the need for educational initiatives tailored to develop the food safety knowledge and food-handling practices of young Greek consumers.     

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.     

Food safety knowledge of foodservice workers at a university campus by education level,experience, and food safety training

Food safety knowledge of university foodservice workers was evaluated and the relationship between food safety knowledge and education level, length of employment, and food safety training was assessed using a 40-item food safety questionnaire. Each knowledge question was scored as “1” for a correct answer and as “0” for an incorrect answer. The relationships between the level of education and food safety knowledge scores and length of employment in the foodservice industry and food safety knowledge scores were determined using bivariate correlation analysis. A total of 63.5% of the respondents had limited knowledge, 79% were well-informed about hygiene practices, while 33.9% of persons knew of correct time-temperature control measures. Kendall's tau = 0.067; p = 0.294 revealed a lack of strength of the relationship between education level and food safety knowledge. The relationship between length of employment and food safety knowledge was Kendall's tau = −0.133; p = 0.121. No mean differences (p = 0.426) were observed for mean knowledge scores between groups of food safety trained and untrained persons. Neither education level, nor the length of employment in the foodservice industry had a significant impact on food safety knowledge. The authors recommend that in order to improve food safety knowledge, attention should be given to the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluating food safety education programs.     

Food safety and handling knowledge and practices of Lebanese university students

The aim of this study was to assess the level of food safety handling knowledge and practices among 1172 Lebanese university students (mean age 20.0 ± 1.6 SD) and to explore the association between their knowledge/practices and the socio-demographic and academic characteristics. Participants were undergraduate students enrolled in the Lebanese American University from different majors and years of study, from different areas of residence, living alone or with others, and having working or non-working mothers. They completed a questionnaire of 16 food handling practices and 14 food safety knowledge questions related to preparation, cross-contamination, storage and hygiene. On average, the students scored 53.6 ± 15.8% and 44.7 ± 14.3% on the knowledge and practices parts, respectively. Female students scored higher on both practices and knowledge questions than male students; however, the difference was significant (p < 0.001) for the practices part only. Health-related majors scored significantly (p ≤ 0.001) better on both practices and knowledge questions. Senior students scored highest on the knowledge questions, followed by juniors, sophomores and finally freshmen and the difference was borderline significant (p = 0.07). The area of residence had a significant (p = 0.006) effect on the food safety practices questions. Students living with parents scored higher in both knowledge and practices parts than those living alone or with roommates; howkver, the difference was significant (p = 0.009) in the knowledge part only. Students who cook all the time showed a significant (p = 0.001) lower difference in terms of their food safety knowledge compared to those who cook less frequently. Food handling practices and food safety knowledge scores were significantly (p < 0.001) related with a weak to moderate correlation coefficient (R = 0.231). Our results confirm the need for ongoing educational initiatives to improve the relatively low food awareness among the Lebanese young adults group.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

Knowledge, attitude and practice of Taif University students on food poisoning

The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on food poisoning of Taif University students, Saudi Arabia. A cluster random sampling technique stratified by three major discipline groups was used: “Male and health”, “Male and humanities” and “Female and humanities”. A total of 1020 were responded to a structured questionnaire, 340 from each group. Results showed over 50% of the students lack the knowledge that raw eggs and raw white cheese have high risk for food poisoning. Also over 50% have negative attitude and they believe there is no risk from eating raw egg or drinking raw milk of she camel. The response to practice questionnaires indicates good hygienic practice except that 76% of the students eat by hand rice and soup meal from one bowl shared by several persons. There was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the mean score of knowledge, attitude and practice according to discipline and sex. The overall KAP mean score was 74.78%. However, the mean score for KAP components were 74.95%, 67.26% and 80.29% for knowledge, attitude and practice, respectively.     

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.     

Food safety knowledge and training participation are associated with lower stress and anxiety levels of Brazilian food handlers

The objectives of this study were: 1) identify the state anxiety, trait anxiety levels and perceived stress levels of food handlers and; 2) Verify the association of these scores with food safety variables like: food safety knowledge, attitudes, practices and with job characteristics. This study 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. The State Trait Anxiety Inventory – STAI was applied to assess the levels of state and trait anxiety with a score range from 10 to 80. To evaluate stress the Perceived Stress Questionnaire – PSQ was used with a score range from zero to one. Food handlers presented 39.22; 10.1 (mean; standard deviation) of state anxiety score, 39.58; 9.6 of trait anxiety score and a perceived stress score of 0.36; 0.09. Observed practices presented a weak negative correlation with state anxiety (r = −0.26; p = 0.014) but not with trait anxiety (r = −0.18; p = 0.09) and stress (r = 0.03; p = 0.78). Using generalized linear models were observed that a higher stress level, trait anxiety and state anxiety were found in food handlers who do not participated in food safety training and with lower knowledge scores of food safety. These findings show that training can not only improve knowledge but possibly empower food handlers, increase their self-efficacy and reduce anxiety and stress levels.     

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.     

A longitudinal evaluation of food safety knowledge and attitudes among Ontario high school students following a food handler training program

Youth are a unique audience for food safety education, in part due to low food safety knowledge. Although the effectiveness of such education has been explored for primary school and college students, no studies have assessed effectiveness among high school students specifically. We conducted a longitudinal intervention study in Ontario, Canada, between February and May 2015, to measure the baseline food safety knowledge and attitudes of high school students (n = 119; from 8 classes in 4 high schools), and determine whether these factors improved following in-class delivery of a provincial standardized food handler training program. Linear mixed effects regression models were used to model within-student changes in knowledge scores and attitudes over time (i.e., circa 2 and 12 weeks post-intervention), and to investigate associations with student characteristics. At baseline, knowledge and attitudes were poor. Following training, overall knowledge was significantly greater than at baseline, although at three months post-intervention only knowledge of safe times and temperatures for cooking and storing food remained significantly higher than baseline. Following training, students were significantly less interested in learning about how to avoid foodborne disease. Other attitudes, as well as knowledge of cross-contamination prevention and disinfection procedures, remained unchanged. These findings suggest that delivering existing food handler training programs within high schools may be a feasible mechanism for food safety educators to improve students' food safety knowledge, both overall and specific to safe times and temperatures, albeit potentially for short timeframes. Whether knowledge continues to decline beyond three months after training bears further investigation. As well, future research to investigate how students' actual food safety practices may change following such training, and whether improvements in knowledge translate into reduced foodborne disease risk, is warranted.     

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.     

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.