AWARENESS AND ATTITUDES OF CONSUMERS TOWARDS FOOD SAFETY IN THOOTHUKUDI DISTRICT

The issue of consumer preferences for food safety has proved to be somewhat of a conundrum. Research on this subject has yielded conflicting results and the empirical data are scarce. There are a number of studies that has identified the need for continued efforts towards educating consumers on the hazards of improper food handling. Common mistakes identified in food handling include serving contaminated raw food, cooking or heating food inadequately, having infected persons handle implicated food and practice poor hygiene. This paper gives a comprehensive picture of the awareness and attitudes of consumers towards food safety in Thoothukudi district. A sample size of one hundred and ten respondents is selected for the research from Thoothukudi district. The study quantitatively analyses the awareness of food safety practices, attitudes and behaviors of the consumers in executing food safety knowledge and practices and food safety practices and its impact on food borne diseases using the primary data. Appropriate findings and suggestions are given in the paper.