Food Sanitation and Hygiene Practices among Food Handlers in Food Joints in Hyderabad

AIM The aims and objective of the present study was to know the level of awareness of the food handlers regarding food sanitation and hygiene while handling food. To observe and study the sanitation and hygiene practices followed by the food handlers of the food joint. OBJECTIVE Diseases spread through food still remain a common and persistent problems resulting in appreciable morbidity and occasional mortality. Food handlers play an important role in ensuring food safety throughout the chain of production, processing, storage and preparation. 1 In large scale cooking, food is handled by many individuals, which increases the chances of food contamination due to improper handling and service. Intentional or accidental contamination of food during large scale production might endanger the health of consumers, and have very expensive repercussions on the public. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the food safety knowledge, and sanitation practices among institutional food handlers in Hyderabad. MATERIALS AND METHODS The survey was administered orally, and responses were recorded on questionnaires by the handlers. The survey included 35 questions that had information on restaurant and food handler demographics, food safety knowledge, behaviors, and personal hygiene. The knowledge questions were in true false, multiple choice, and open ended format. The primary subject areas in this study included appropriate temperatures for cooking, heating, and cooling foods, cross contamination, and behavioral questions such as working while ill and hand hygiene practices. RESULT We learn that most of the food service establishments in Hyderabad are aware of the basic hygiene practices. They are very particular about the personal hygiene of the staff and sanitation of the food being prepared. They take proper care of the ingredients and are concerned about their hygiene. Majority of the personnel have not undergone a food safety training program but wanted to be a part of it. CONCLUSION The study suggests that even though the knowledge, attitude and practice level of the food handlers was satisfactory, some of the aspects related to hygiene and time and temperature control need to be stressed. Continuous education and training should be organized to strengthen food handlers knowledge in areas which seem to be lacking. Mrs. Meena Kumari | Ms Nasreen Begum | Sarah Jameel | Suroorunnisa | Sahina Parvin "Food Sanitation and Hygiene Practices among Food Handlers in Food Joints in Hyderabad" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-3 | Issue-4 , June 2019, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd23421.pdf