Evaluation of Food Safety Knowledge Among Food Handlers

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate food handlers' knowledge regarding personal hygiene and food safety. A total of 200 food handlers from 30 independent food businesses in Kars, Turkey has been questioned in this survey. The score criterion for the answers was one (1) point for each correct response and zero (0) point for the false and “Do not know” answers. The questionnaires having 29 points were scored with 5. The knowledge of the respondents who got ≥3 was considered as adequate. Most of the participants were male (66.5 %) and mainly under the age of 24 (42.5 %) or between the age of 25-34 (33.5 %). Nearly half of the participants (46.5 %) had high school education (11 years). Only 25 % of the workers who were mainly cooks declared that they had attended to a food safety training course. Seventy six percent of the respondents were waitress/waiter. Almost half (43%) of the food handlers got ≤2.9 (out of 5 points) point which indicated that they did not have adequate knowledge about personal hygiene and food safety. Male workers were more successful at the questionnaire while age had not a significant effect. Personal hygiene, cross-contamination, thawing frozen meat and reheating of foods were the sections in which the respondents gave false answers frequently. The knowledge of participants neither about food safety nor personal hygiene is enough to prepare or serve safe food. But it was observed that education level and attending training courses had a positive effect on responding questions correctly.

 

Keywords

• Knowledge,Food Handlers

Gıda İşçilerinin Gıda Güvenliği Hakkındaki Bilgilerinin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, gıda işçilerinin kişisel hijyen ve gıda güvenliği bilgilerinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada, Kars'ta yer alan 30 farklı işletmeden 200 gıda işçisi anket yoluyla sorgulanmıştır. Her bir doğru yanıt için bir (1), yanlış veya "Bilmiyorum" yanıtları için sıfır (0) puan verilmiştir. Tam 29 puan alanlar beş (5) ile skorlanmıştır.  Buna göre ≥3 ve üzeri skora sahip olanların bilgisi "Yeterli" olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Profil sonuçlarına göre katılımcıların çoğunluğunun (%66,5) erkek ve 24 yaş altı (%42,5) ya da 25-34 yaş arasında (%33,5), yaklaşık yarısının (%46,5) lise mezunu, sadece %25'inin gıda güvenliği eğitimi almış ve %76'sının garson olduğu görülmüştür. Ankete katılanların neredeyse yarısı (%43) ≤2.9 ile skorlanmıştır ki bu kişisel hijyen ve gıda güvenliği konusunda yetersiz olduklarına işaret etmiştir. Erkekler daha fazla başarı gösterirken yaş etkili bulunmamıştır. En fazla yanlış yanıta, kişisel hijyen, çapraz kontaminasyom, dondurulmuş etlerin çözünmesi ve gıdaların yeniden ısıtılması kategorilerinde rastlanmıştır. Katılımcıların genel olarak gıda güvenliği ve kişisel hijyen konularında, güvenli gıda hazırlayıp servis edecek yeterlikte bilgiye sahip olmadığı görülmüştür. Ancak eğitim seviyesi ve gıda güvenliği eğitimlerinin doğru cevaplar vermede olumlu etki gösterdiği ortaya konmuştur.

Keywords

• Gıda Güvenliği Bilgisi,Gıda İşçileri,Eğitim

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