Abstract
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.
Highlights
Food handlers can play a vital role into reducing foodborne diseases by adopting appropriate food handling and sanitation practices in working plants
Our findings show a higher association between food safety knowledge and food safety practice, which is in agreement with other recent findings from a study by Yenealem, Yallew, and Abdulmajid [41] that found meat handlers with a high level of food safety knowledge were 2 times more likely to be engaged in good meat handling practices
In summary, meat handlers in Bangladesh have low food safety knowledge and practices, and there is a need for interventions to improve their knowledge regarding food safety
Summary
Food 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. Foodborne diseases have become a public health concern across the world and have been linked to poor food handling and sanitation practices among food handlers [1, 2]. Poor food handling practices and hygiene accounts for a substantial proportion of foodborne disease outbreaks within the population [4, 5]. In Bangladesh, the occurrence of foodborne diseases and other food safety hazards is substantially high due to the densely populated nature, underdeveloped infrastructure and poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions [7]. Previous Bangladeshi studies [10,11,12] found that meat samples contain pathogenic microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp., and Staphylococcus aureus, which have the potential to cause food poisoning in consumer
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