Determinants of food safety practice and knowledge level among food vendors in Ado-odo/Ota Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria

Food safety knowledge and self-reported practices among school children in the Ga West Municipality in Ghana

Food safety knowledge and practices are necessary for eliminating food borne diseases, however, there is a scarcity of information on food safety knowledge and practices among young adults in the Northern Region of Ghana. This research was therefore aimed at assessing the food safety knowledge and practices of university students in the Northern region of Ghana and to determine if any relationship exists between their food safety knowledge and practices and their socio-demographic and academic characteristics A cross-sectional study was carried out where data was collected from 397 randomly selected students of the University for Development Studies and Tamale Technical University using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS V20. Results showed that 54.4% had good level of food safety knowledge, 38.5% had moderate level of food safety knowledge and 7.1% had poor levels of food safety knowledge. Similarly, students also showed 46.3%, 39.3% and 14.4% levels of good, moderate and poor food safety practices, respectively. The department and level of study significantly influenced (P < 0.05) the food safety knowledge of participants, however no demographic characteristics influenced (P > 0.05) the food safety practices of the participants. The findings from this study suggest the need for increased effort on how to guide students to translate their food safety knowledge into practice. Innovative and creative approaches should be applied to food safety education to increase practice since the students showed good food safety knowledge than food safety practice.

This survey assessed street food vendors' food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices in Rizal Boulevard, Dumaguete City. This study used quantitative research utilizing survey methodology. The researchers used purposive sampling to select 50 vendors as the study's respondents based on their location and street food sales. Findings revealed that most street food vendors were females between 41 and 50, and married. The street food vendors received food safety training and had been in the street food vending business for several years. Despite variations in socio-demographic factors, the respondents displayed an extremely knowledgeable level of food safety knowledge and exhibited a positive attitude towards food safety. However, their adherence to food safety practices in their operations was consistent. For challenges, poor food safety practices were noted in water use, lack of access to safe water, unregulated street vending practices, inadequate waste disposal, and the need for proper facilities. The study emphasized the moderate positive correlation between food safety knowledge and adherence to food safety practices. Findings suggest that higher levels of food safety knowledge, strong positive attitudes, and better practices contribute to better handling challenges in the street food vending sector. To enhance street food vendors' food safety knowledge and practices, several interventions are put forward to support and achieve comprehensive food safety training programs that address the identified gaps. Initiatives could focus on providing accessible and practical training, providing access to safe water and proper waste disposal facilities, and creating awareness about safe food vending practices. Further, collaboration and engagement of relevant stakeholders are essential to create a supportive environment that enables street food vendors to enhance their food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices. By improving food safety standards, street food can be improved, ensuring the well-being of both vendors and customers.

BackgroundFood handlers can play a vital role into reducing foodborne diseases by adopting appropriate food handling and sanitation practices in working plants. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with food safety knowledge and practices among meat handlers who work at butcher shops in Bangladesh.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 meat handlers from January to March, 2021. Data were collected through in-person interviews using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three parts; socio-demographic characteristics, assessments of food safety knowledge, and food safety practices. A multiple logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with food safety knowledge and practices.ResultsOnly 20% [95% confidence interval, (CI) 15.7–24.7] and 16.3% (95% CI 12.3–20.7) of the respondents demonstrated good levels of food safety knowledge and practices, respectively. The factors associated with good levels of food safety knowledge were: having a higher secondary education [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.57, 95% CI 1.11–18.76], income above 25,000 BDT/month (AOR = 10.52, 95% CI 3.43–32.26), work experience of > 10 years (AOR = 9.31, 95% CI 1.92–45.09), ≥ 8 h per day of work (AOR = 6.14, 95% CI 2.69–13.10), employed on a daily basis (AOR = 4.05, 95% CI 1.16–14.14), and having food safety training (AOR = 8.98 95% CI 2.16–37.32). Good food safety knowledge (AOR = 5.68, 95% CI 2.33–13.87) and working ≥ 8 h per day (AOR = 8.44, 95% CI 3.11–22.91) were significantly associated with a good level of food safety practice.ConclusionsPoor knowledge and practices regarding food safety were found among Bangladeshi meat handlers. Findings may help public health professionals and practitioners develop targeted strategies to improve food safety knowledge and practices among this population. Such strategies may include education and sensitization on good food safety practices.

Food borne illness has continued to be a serious public health problem in developing countries especially among school children (who are known as the high-risk group for intestinal parasitic infections), and this can be prevented by good hygiene practices among vendors in the schools. School children are exposed to hazards of purchasing and consuming food from food vendors who may harbour dangerous pathogens or have the potential of spreading infection to a large number of other students, owing to their food safety and hygiene practices. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the pattern of food safety and hygiene practices among food vendors in public primary schools in Ikenne Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and the target population comprised 48 food vendors. The analysis revealed that 8.3% of the respondents had low knowledge of food safety and hygiene, 18.8% had moderate knowledge and 72.9% of them had high knowledge of food safety and hygiene. One-third of the respondents (33.3%) moderately practice food safety and hygiene and 66.7% highly practice food safety and hygiene. Factors that affected food safety and hygiene practices were access to protective equipment (100%), access to potable water (100%) and indoor food preparation environment (50%). There was a significant difference in the pattern of practice of food safety and hygiene among food vendors based on the level of knowledge of food safety and hygiene practice (p=0.000; t=45.208) and the level of education of the food vendors (p=0.00; t= 52.208). The study concluded that knowledge of food safety and hygiene practices among food vendors in public primary schools in Ikenne Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria was high, though there was moderate practice. The study recommended that food vendors should be exposed to more training, regular monitoring, as well as providing basic facilities for food preparation in order to prevent the outbreak of food borne diseases among children.

Background: Consumers’ knowledge on food safety and related practices play central role in reducing foodborne diseases, which represents significant concerns to public health.
 Objectives: To evaluate rural and urban household consumers knowledge of food safety and related practices in Ogun state, Nigeria. Also, awareness of foodborne illnesses, and association between respondents’ demographic characteristics and food safety knowledge were investigated.
 Methods: A crossectional study, which involved a questionnaire based interview of a group of 120 volunteers from four different local government areas (LGA) in Ogun State was conducted. Pearson chi-square analysis was used to test the association between consumers’ demographic parameters and knowledge of food safety.
 Results: Overall, eighteen (15.8%, 95% Cl, 10.0 – 23.7) male, and ninety-six (82.2%, 95% Cl, 76.3 – 89.9) female within the age range 16 – 60 years took part in the study. Our data showed that there was poor knowledge regarding food safety practices and food borne illnesses among rural and urban consumers surveyed. However, there was a significant difference in the awareness of rural and urban household consumers to foodborne illnesses and associated complications, (p <0.05). Also, Respondents’ marital status were significantly associated with knowledge of food safety (p <0.000).
 Conclusion: Poor consumer knowledge of food safety, and food related illnesses were reported, informing the urgent need to improve on food safety education such as food handling, preparation, storage and general hygiene practices in homes in Nigeria.

Owning pets offers various potential health benefits; however, it can be associated with gastrointestinal illnesses due to poor food safety knowledge and practices. This study aimed to evaluate the level of food safety knowledge and practices among pet owners in Lebanon, exploring the association between their knowledge/practices and socio-demographic characteristics. The participants included 300 pet owners, representing various genders, ages, educational levels, educational backgrounds, and incomes. They completed a questionnaire of 72 food handling practices and knowledge questions related to preparation, cross-contamination, storage and hygiene. In parallel, 300 non-pet owners with comparable sociodemographic characteristics to pet owners (control group) completed the questionnaire. On average, food safety knowledge scores were 62.1 ± 14.9% and 58.7 ± 15.5% among pet and non-pet owners, respectively, and the difference was significant (p = 0.05). On the other hand, mean food safety practice scores were 41.3 ± 14.8% and 40.4 ± 15.3% among pet and non-pet owners, respectively, and the difference was not significant (p = 0.41). In the food safety knowledge part, non-pet owners who were young, high income, university graduate, and from health-related majors scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher, while among pet-owners, only participants with a university degree and from health-related majors scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher, in terms of knowledge. On the other hand, In the food safety practices part, non-pet owners who were young, high income, and university graduates scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher, while among pet-owners, only young and high-income participants scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher. These results highlight the need for ongoing educational initiatives to improve food safety practices among both pet owners in Lebanon. The study suggests that targeted educational programs should be developed, considering specific socio-demographic characteristics, to enhance overall food safety awareness and practices among the population.

This study examined the current status of foodservice management in elderly welfare facilities and evaluated food service workers' food safety practices and knowledge. For this, the directors of 20 elderly welfare facili- ties (each with fewer than 50 residents) located in Seoul were interviewed and a survey of 40 foodservice workers was conducted to determine their food safety knowledge and practices. The facilities accommodated an average of 28 residents. All the facilities were self-operated and approximately 62% were dependent on payments by residents. Only 15% had a dietitian in charge of menu planning, food purchasing, and food safe- ty management. Approximately 50% had their facility managers take responsibilities for menu planning and food safety management. Most of the facilities provided food safety training within their own facility and sa- nitized their utensils, cutting boards, and dishcloths on a daily basis. A limited number of foodservice work- ers, insufficient training programs, and budget constraints were some of the major barriers to food safety management. Their average score on food safety practices was 1.62, and that on food safety knowledge was 17.6 out of 19 points. These results indicate that the foodservice workers had good food safety knowledge and appropriate food safety practices. There was a significant correlation only between food safety practices related to receiving and storing food products and knowledge of personal hygiene.

Foodborne illnesses are responsible for about half a million deaths annually, of which 30% occur among kids. This study aimed to assess the current food safety knowledge and practice level of Saudi women in Al-Ahsa region, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted through personal interviews among 239 Saudi women. The questionnaire consisted of close-ended questions covering different aspects of food safety knowledge and practices at home and during shopping. Descriptive analyses were used to identify the level of participant’s awareness, and the scores were shown in three categories (good – fair – poor) based on their food safety knowledge and practice awareness. The effect of socio-demographic characteristics and their correlation to food safety knowledge and practices was conducted using Chisquare analysis. The results about food safety knowledge showed that around 50% of participants achieved a good score, and 37.5% achieved a fair score, while 12.5% achieved a poor score. In comparison, the participants achieved 75% good score, whereas 12.5% achieved both fair and poor in food safety practices. The results also highlighted a significant correlation (P<0.05) between level of food safety knowledge, practices of participants and their age, marital status, work status, and educational level, while there’s no correlation with their family size and total income. Although, the overall result showed good level in food safety knowledge and slightly less in food safety practices among Saudi women living in Al-Ahsa region, continuous education, training, awareness, and motivation are highly recommended to improve women’s knowledge and practices to higher levels.

PurposeThe study examines the interrelationships of food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices, and the moderating effect of food safety training on the said interrelationships.Design/methodology/approachPredictive-causal was the primary research design used and partial least squares – structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was the statistical technique applied.FindingsResults showed that food safety knowledge significantly and positively influences attitudes towards food safety. It was further revealed that attitudes toward food safety and food safety practices are also significantly and positively related. Moderation analysis indicated that food safety training moderates the significant and positive relationship between attitudes towards food safety and food safety practices.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study has limitations. First, the unit of analysis is focused on food handlers in fast-food restaurants in Angeles City, Philippines. Other researchers may come up with similar studies on a larger scale – provincial, regional or national. Second, only food safety training as a construct was used as a moderator on the hypothesized relationships of the structural model. Other studies may expand and explore other moderating variables and/or mediating constructs that may affect the said hypothesized relationships.Practical implicationsBased on the present study, food safety knowledge was found to have a huge significant and direct influence on attitudes of fast-food restaurant food handlers towards food safety, as evidenced by the computed effect size. In short, knowledge on food safety is an integral factor when it comes to enhancing food safety attitudes of fast-food restaurant food handlers. When fast-food restaurant food handlers are well-equipped with the right food safety knowledge, they become more aware of the different food safety protocols and other pertinent food safety guidelines and procedures which can lead to favorable food safety attitudes.Social implicationsThe present study highlighted the moderating effect of food safety training on the relationship between attitudes toward food safety and food safety practices. Therefore, regular attendance of food handlers to food safety training is crucial in developing acceptable attitudes toward food safety, which in turn, favorably affect their food safety practices in fast-food restaurants.Originality/valueThe current study utilized PLS-SEM, a second-generation statistical technique, to measure the hypothesized relationships as compared to correlation tests performed by prior studies on the interrelationships of food safety knowledge, attitudes toward food safety and food safety practices. PLS-SEM is suitable for this type of research design – predictive-causal – since this study involves model development and prediction. Furthermore, it employed moderation analysis to measure the moderating effects of food safety training on the identified hypothesized relationships of the structural model. Hence, methodologically, the present study employed new ways and insights in measuring the interrelationships of food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices.

Background: Food safety protects consumers from risks of foodborne diseases and addresses the proper handling, preparing and storing of food. With foodborne diseases still remaining an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, food safety continues to be emphasized and enhancing consumer food safety knowledge and practice is one important measure to prevent foodborne diseases. Although there are efforts of food safety education in schools, there is still limited research regarding food safety knowledge and practice amongst consumers especially school students. Therefore, this research aims to determine the level and factors associated with food safety practice among form four students in Hulu Langat district, Selangor. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study using multi-stage sampling was conducted involving 610 form four students from six secondary schools in Hulu Langat. A self-administered questionnaire was used to determine the students’ food safety knowledge scores. A cut-off point of 70% was used (scores above or below this are considered ‘Good’ or ‘Insufficient’ level of knowledge). Descriptive and analytical analysis was done using the SPSS version 22.0 Result: The level of food safety knowledge is insufficient for majority of the students (62.8%). Good food safety knowledge was higher among the Malays (40.8%), those in the Pure Science stream (44%), those with parents who are food handlers (51.3%) and those with a previous experience of food poisoning (40.7%). The level of food safety knowledge is significantly associated with ethnicity (p=0.03), academic stream (p=0.02), whether their parents are food handlers (p=0.03) and previous experience of food poisoning (p=0.01). Conclusion: Majority of the form four students had insufficient level of knowledge on food safety. Thus, there is a need to further improve their knowledge. Factors like racial differences, family and academic background should be taken into consideration when constructing educational interventions to improve the level of knowledge. Keywords: food safety knowledge, students, secondary schools

This study explores the disparity between the food safety knowledge and practices of street food vendors in a developing country. A purposive survey to determine the knowledge and practices of street food vendors was conducted on 36 street food vendors. The food safety knowledge of the street vendors was tested under five factors, as adopted in the literature. Through a chi-square goodness-of-fit test, a disparity between the food safety knowledge and practices of street food vendors was observed. Moreover, a structural modeling technique was adopted to analyze the interrelationships between food safety knowledge factors and practices. As a result, it was found that most of the food safety knowledge impact their counterpart factors on food safety practices. Likewise, such factors on food safety knowledge are crucial in explaining the reported food safety practices. When mapping the food safety knowledge.of the street food vendors to their practices, it was found that street vendors have a high level of food safety knowledge but low in actual practice, as evidenced by poor food handling practices among street food vendors which also significantly differs from the established standards. The results in this study provide crucial insights into the literature in developing a holistic view of the dynamics of street food vending. Moreover, the results may be beneficial to stakeholders as it may aid them in the development of management and policy initiatives that may be crucial in addressing the contemporary issues of street food vending in developing countries.

Introduction: To protect public health in society, it is imperative to promote good food safety practices by raising awareness and knowledge, especially among school students. This study aimed to assess the food safety knowledge and practices among middle school students in Tripoli, Libya. Methods: The study was conducted through a questionnaire to find out the level of food safety knowledge and practices among randomly selected students from several municipalities in Tripoli city, Libya, from May to November 2019. Approval from the director of the Basic Education Administration was taken. Data were analyzed to determine the association of demographics and the level of knowledge and practices, the correlation between knowledge and practice scores. The data analysis was performed by SPSS. A Chi-square test was used to find out the association. A p&lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was a total of 591 students surveyed. A good level of food safety knowledge was found in 325(55%) and the level of food safety practices was high in 558(94.4%). Only 102(17.3%) of the students always washed their hands before eating in school. There was a significant association (p&lt;0.05) between gender and municipality with the knowledge scores. conclusion: The level of food safety practices was high but only half of the middle school students surveyed had a good level of knowledge.

Food safety receives minimal attention and only captures national attention during foodborne disease outbreaks. The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes and practices on food safety aspects related to Orange Fleshed Sweet potato (OFSP) along the food value chain in Kenya. A cross-sectional study was designed and investigated food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) among the OFSP processors, traders, and consumers of street foods in Kenya. A socio-demographic questionnaire and KAP questionnaire were used as data collection instruments. The study included OFSP traders OFSP puree processors, large retailer’s bakeries and consumers in Nairobi. The OFSP traders included were the suppliers of OFSP in the markets around Nairobi city. The OFSP consumers included the people who buy cooked OFSP from the street vendors in Nairobi city. Descriptive statistics such as percentage means and standard deviation were used to summarize the socio-demographic data and the knowledge, attitude, practices, and overall KAP. Pearson’s correlation was used to establish an association of the three study components. Adjusted linear regression was used to assess the effect of food safety on knowledge, attitude, and practices. Knowledgeable, positive attitude and good practice on food safety were considered for mean scores above 80%. Statistical significance was set at p &lt; 0.05 . The findings from the OFSP processors revealed a mean percentage score for knowledge, attitude, practices at 70.7%, 93.5%, and 90%, respectively, with an overall mean score of 84.6%. Lower education level was statistically significantly associated with food safety practices at p = 0.002. Adjusted linear regression found a significant effect of food safety on knowledge at p&lt;0.001. Adjusted multiple regression revealed that age was statistically significantly associated with food safety knowledge, and food safety attitude (both at p &lt;0.001). Education level was significantly associated with food safety practices (p&lt;0.001). Findings from OFSP traders revealed mean percentage scores for knowledge, attitude, practices at 63.1%, 74.4%, and 64.7%, respectively, with an overall mean score of 67.4%. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between food safety attitude and food safety practice p= 0.015. Similarly, a strong positive correlation between food safety practice and food safety knowledge was noted (p &lt;0.001). Adjusted linear regression found that Food safety practice was significantly impacted by both knowledge and attitude R2=0.578 F=49.6 p=0.000. Results from OFSP consumers revealed mean percentage scores for knowledge, attitude, practices at 66.2%, 87.3%, and 91.6%, respectively with an overall mean score of 81.7%. Lower education level was statistically significantly associated with inappropriate practices among OFSP consumers p = 0.040. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a week positive correlation between food safety knowledge attitude and practice. : This study reveals a gap in the area of food safety knowledge, attitude, and practice along the OFSP value chain. The study highlights the need for policymakers to address and review the knowledge, attitude, and practices in the food industry, to raise food safety awareness campaigns and organize more targeted training along the food chains to reduce the foodborne disease burden. Keywords: Food safety, Knowledge, attitude, practices, processor, traders, consumers DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/110-05 Publication date: September 30 th 2021

The study focuses on assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of food safety among school children in the city of Colombo, Sri Lanka, based on a questionnaire survey conducted from September to October 2020, with a sample of 380 teenagers from a selection of schools in the Colombo Educational Zone, Sri Lanka. It reports that the mean food safety knowledge, attitude, and practice scores of the participants were 59.949 ± 0.833, 84.336 ± 0.448, and 79.597 ± 0.616 (mean ± SE) respectively and hypothesises that the food safety practice score and the attitude score of school children both significantly increase relative to their food safety knowledge score ( rp = 0.205, p &lt; 0.001 and rp = 0.359, p &lt; 0.001). A multiple linear regression analysis of the data establishes that the food safety knowledge score of the male participants is higher than that of the female participants and that poor food handling practices are common among the males in the population. The results further demonstrate a correlation between the individual schoolchild’s academic performance, the educational background of his/her parents, and his/her knowledge of food safety. The present study reveals that the school children in Colombo Education Zone maintain an average level of food safety knowledge and satisfactory levels of food safety attitudes and practices. Thus, the authors suggest that school children should be provided with appropriate education and training to enhance their current level of food safety knowledge, especially about proper temperature control during food processing and food handling.