Food safety assessment in India: modelling enablers

Introduction: The public health concern over food safety and complications accompanying improper food safety practices continue to persist globally. Approximately 600 million individuals worldwide experience food hygiene-related illness with an additional 420,000 dying from food hygiene-related complications each year. In Nigeria, over 200,000 deaths occur from foodborne illness annually and the problem is further exacerbated by inadequate infrastructure, poor regulations, and limited awareness of food safety and hygiene practices among food handlers and consumers. Thus, this study is designed to determine the effect of food safety and hygiene training programme on the knowledge and practices of food handlers in restaurants and canteens in Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria. The Information-Motivation-Behavioural Skills Model will be used for this study. Method: A quasi-experimental design (with pre-and post-test assessment) will be adopted for this study. The study population will consist of all food handlers operating in restaurants and canteens in the study area with at least six months of work experience who give consent to participate. The estimated sample size will be 74 each for the control and intervention groups. Ethics and dissemination: Ethical approval will be sought from the Cross River State Ministry of Health Research Ethics Committee. The intervention strategy will be a clustered nutrition education programme with focus on food hygiene and safety practices, directed at food handlers in restaurants and canteens in the intervention group. The proposed instrument for data collection will be questionnaire and observational checklist. The knowledge level and food safety practices of the participants before and after the training will be recorded. The limitation of the study could be the potential for bias in self-reported data from food handlers regarding their knowledge and practices towards food safety. Strengths and limitations of this study: This study will find immense significance in that: Assessing the food handlers’ adherence to food safety practices following a training intervention can help build consumer trust and confidence in the safety and quality of the food served. Provide insights into compliance levels and inform regulatory interventions to ensure adherence to standards aimed at enhancing food safety knowledge and practices among food handlers. One limitation of the study could be the potential for bias in self-reported data from food handlers regarding their knowledge and practices towards food safety. There may be a tendency for respondents to provide socially desirable answers or to overestimate their level of knowledge and adherence to food safety practices. To address this limitation, the researcher has employed multiple methods of data collection, such as direct observation of food handling practices in addition to self-report surveys. Direct observation would provide objective data on actual behaviours, allowing for a more accurate assessment of food safety practices. Additionally, validated instruments and anonymous surveys to encourage honest responses from participants would be used.

PurposeIndia is in the process to achieve an important place in $2,000bn global food trade. In order to achieve this goal, there is a need to develop a food safety system which is well written down in line with international practices that are highly coordinated based on self-compliance to assure consumer protection. Accordingly, many organizations undergo assessment of their food safety system to verify compliance internally as well as externally. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight on the critical factors and benefits by evaluating the food safety assessment practices.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based survey is conducted among 96 Indian food business operators and regulators involved in assessment practices to obtain critical factors for the assessment of food safety practices. The questionnaire captures indicators for motivations or challenges and benefits of food safety assessment to identify critical factors using exploratory factor analysis. Model for the food safety assessment practices was developed based on multiple regression analysis by determining the impact of factors on the benefits of food safety assessment.FindingsThis paper identifies four factors responsible for assessing food safety practices, namely, business-centric approach, legislative needs, technical practices and organization resentment as a combination of reasons and challenges along with two benefits risk: protection and organization reinforcement. The regression analysis indicates that the organization reinforcement gets positively impacted by business and technical practices and negatively by organization resentment. Risk protection has a significant relationship with legislative needs.Originality/valueThis is the first attempt to systematically explore the factors around the assessment of food safety practices in India. This study provides inputs for the practical application of managers and regulators.

Food safety assessment is an effective means of discovering knowledge and data gaps that limit effective risk analysis and at the same time providing information to develop public policies on food safety management. The study assessed the cassava food safety practices among cassava processors in selected rural communities of Oyo State. Both qualitative and quantitative research designs were used to examine the following parameters: knowledge, attitude, sources of information and constraints to food safety practices. Focus Group Discussion, In-depth Interview, direct observation and interview schedule were the sources of primary data used. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select one hundred and fifty-four (154) men and women involved in cassava processing from four Local Government Areas where there is concentration of cassava production and processing activities in the state, namely: Saki-West, Saki-East, Atisbo and Afijio. Data were analyzed using percentage, mean, Analysis of Variance and Chi square. The findings revealed that the mean income was N20,695, majority of the processors have low knowledge (71.4%) and unfavourable attitude (51.3%) towards cassava safety practices. Public sanitary officers (𝑥𝑥�= 2.61) and fellow processors (𝑥𝑥�=2.11) were ranked as the most used sources of information about cassava safety practices. Constraints to food safety practices include: processing is time consuming, the cumbersome nature of the safety practices and inadequate access to clean water. Inferential analysis of results shows that income contributed significantly to the cassava food safety practices (p = 0.04) and safety practices do significantly differ among cassava processors across the selected cassava processors (p = 0.10). However, no significant relationship between sex (p = 0.42), age (p = 0.48), marital status (p = 0.67), educational level (p =0.53), processing experience (p = 0.92) and safety practices of the respondents. Training and effective monitoring by relevant stakeholders will further boost processors’ knowledge and attitudinal change towards food safety and ultimately safe food for the consumers.

Use of the Conceptual Change Teaching Method to Address Food Safety Among Native American and Hispanic Food Preparers

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.

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 < 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<0.001. Adjusted multiple regression revealed that age was statistically significantly associated with food safety knowledge, and food safety attitude (both at p <0.001). Education level was significantly associated with food safety practices (p<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 <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

Cultural revolution

Many food recovery agencies depend on donated food, and its safety is critical for the health of vulnerable populations. A food safety curriculum was developed for agency volunteers and paid staff of the Lower Mississippi Delta region. Examples of topics in the curriculum included: personal hygiene, food storage, transporting food safely, and HACCP. Food Safety Knowledge Pre- and Posttests (20 questions) were identical, and validity and reliability were established prior to use. Paired t-tests were performed to determine the effectiveness of the curriculum (n=190). A Food Safety Practices Survey (10 questions) demonstrating attitudes and behaviors regarding food safety practices in the agency and/or the home was given with the Food Safety Knowledge Posttest. The heading on the survey was, “After the food safety training today I plan to,” and possible responses were “already doing,” “yes,” or “no.” A Food Safety Practices Delayed Survey was administered by mail to participants 3-6 months following the food safety training. The Food Safety Practices Delayed Survey was similar to the Food Safety Practices Survey except there were four possible answer choices-- “always,” “most of the time,” “sometimes,” and “never.” Food Safety Knowledge Posttest scores (19.0 ± 0.1) were significantly (p<0.000) greater than Food Safety Knowledge Pretest scores (16.6 ± 0.2). Food Safety Practices Survey results indicated that participants were already using proper food safety practices (5.8 ± 0.2), or that they plan to use proper food safety practices (4.0 ± 0.2). On the Food Safety Practices Delayed Survey (n=82) participants indicated that they “always” (8.8 ± 0.2) or “most of the time” (0.8 ± 0.1) follow proper food safety practices. Results demonstrated the food safety curriculum was used successfully to improve food safety knowledge. Food Safety Practices Survey results indicated that the majority of food recovery agency personnel and staff were already using proper food safety practices in their agency or at home. In addition, the results from the Food Safety Practices Delayed Survey showed the participants retained the knowledge from the food safety training and a majority were “always” following proper food safety practices.

Background: Food safety is essential for preventing foodborne illnesses and ensuring the health of consumers. Unsafe food can lead to diseases that result in significant morbidity and mortality. Objective: This study aimed to assess food safety practices and associated factors among health extension model and non-model households in Asella Town, South West Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 660 model and non-model households. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and logistic regression analyses. Results: The overall prevalence of good food safety practices was 49.1%, with significantly higher prevalence among model households (75.4%) compared to non-model households (22.4%). Factors associated with good food safety practices included being a model household, availability of solid and liquid waste disposal sites, good knowledge towards food safety, and a positive attitude towards food safety. Conclusions and Recommendations: The study findings indicate a low level of good food safety practices among households. Interventions are needed to improve household food safety practices, knowledge, and attitudes towards food safety.

The study delved on identifying vendors’ level of awareness towards food safety and practices on proper food handling. The researcher made use of quantitative approach specifically the descriptive-correlative research design. The data were collected through the use of survey questionnaires distributed to the twenty-six vendors from the three selected barangays namely: Saduc Proper, Lilod Saduc, and Panggao-Saduc. The respondents were selected through convenience sampling. Specifically, this study sought to explore the demographic profiles of the respondents such as sex, highest educational attainment and attended seminar or training related to food safety and hygiene. It also identified the vendors’ level of awareness towards food safety and practices on proper food handling of street food. Lastly, it investigated the relationship between the demographic profiles of the respondents and the vendors’ level of awareness towards food safety. Using the convince sampling, the data were collected from twenty-six (26) sample size. Based on the findings, it was found out that most vendors were females and have low educational levels. It was also revealed that there were only few who have been to seminar/training related to food hygiene and safety. Furthermore, this study found out that respondents were very aware of many food safety practices such as keeping their preparation areas clean and using the right utensils. However, there was a need to improve some practices such as preheating sauces and serving food quickly. In terms of the relationship between the respondents’ demographic profile and their level of awareness on food safety, it resulted to negative moderate correlation between the demographic profile variables of gender, educational attainment, and seminars attended related to food safety and hygiene and the level of awareness among street food vendors on food safety practices. The researcher recommended that street food vendors must strictly observe safe food handling practices. They should be aware of the significance of these practices. In addition, they should attend seminar or training related to food safety and healthy food preparation practices to ensure a safer and healthier food environment for everyone’s health.

The food safety matter is an issue that is discussed widely, but cases of food poisoning in particular, are still ongoing. This may be associated with person’s level of knowledge and practices on food safety. This current study aimed to evaluate knowledge and practices levels related to food safety and to examine the relationship of some demographic characteristics with knowledge and practices levels related to food safety, as well as the relationship between food safety knowledge and practices among the students and staff members of Zarqa University, Jordan. The study was conducted via a Google form that was set up for this study. 406 subjectsparticipated in the study, where 37.7% were males and 62.3% of the participants were females. Results showed that 90.6% and 75.1% of the participants had a good knowledge and a high level of practices related to food safety, respectively. The findings also showed a significant relationship between age, marital status and the knowledge scores related to food safety, and a significant relationship (P˂ 0.05) between age, gender, marital status and practices related to food safety (P˂ 0.05). Further, a small significant positive relationship between food safety knowledge and food safety practices was found (P˂ 0.05). Overall, it was found that there is a good knowledge level related to food safety and high food safety practice level among the participants. As a result; to achieve an advanced level of knowledge continuing education programs, are required to increase understanding food safety.

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

Food safety is a public health concern worldwide due to an increased morbidity and mortality risk associated with the outbreak of food-borne diseases. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, and food safety practices (KAP) among university students in northern Tanzania. This is interesting because it allows data to be collected for creating awareness on safety, sanitation, and quality of food available within and outside the university environments.We conducted a cross-sectional study among 407 university students in Kilimanjaro region and all authors participated equally. Participants completed an online, self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 and summarized using descriptive statistics. The Chi-squared test compared the proportion of KAP by participant characteristics and the multiple logistic regression model used to determine the associated factors. Participants had a mean age (standard deviation) of 23.2 (2.6) years, 51.4% were males, and 83% were < 25 years. The overall proportion of good knowledge, attitude, and food safety practices were 82.6, 78.4, and 31.9%, respectively. Higher odds of knowledge and attitude on food safety were students from KCMUCo (OR = 2.36; 95% CI 1.33–4.17) and (OR = 4.80; 95% CI 2.67–8.63). Also higher odds of food safety practice were students with good knowledge (OR = 1.80; 95% CI 1.03–3.13).Good food safety knowledge but not attitudes was associated with good food safety practices. This shows the need to introduce practical food safety within college environments to help students improve food hygiene and safety practices.

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.

This study was carried out to assess the food safety practices among the smoked fish sellers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. It aimed at describing the socio-economic characteristics of the smoked fish sellers; identifying the food safety practices, examining the determinants of using food safety practices, estimating the profitability of smoked fish and ascertaining the constraints to food safety practices among smoked fish sellers in the study area. Data, obtained through a multi-stage sampling technique, were analysed through the use of descriptive statistics and Tobit regression models. Result from socio-economic characteristics of the respondents revealed that smoked fish business was dominated by females (75.8%) who were majorly young people with the mean age of 45.5years. The majority of the respondents were married (59.1%). It was also revealed that most of the respondents were literate with different levels of education with the average family size of 6 persons. The respondents were fairly experienced with 41.7% of them had more than 10 years of involvement in smoked fish enterprise. Most of the respondents used charcoal (53.4%) and half drum kiln (57.5%) in smoking their fish. A larger percentage (33.3%) of the respondents sourced their capital from other sources. Majority (61.7%) of the respondents smoked other species of fish such as hake fish and herring fish etc. The smoked fish sellers (68.3%) had prior knowledge of food safety practices while the respondents (57.5%) had access to useful food safety practices. The majority (73.3%) of the respondents had no access to bank loans. This study revealed that the majority of the smoked fish sellers were food safety compliant. It revealed that the major food safety practices used by the respondents were sweeping of their workspace before and after processing (99.2%) and washing of their hands before and after processing (97.5%) The only place they were lacking was in the covering of their smoked fish, the study revealed only few (32.5%) of the smoked fish sellers covers their smoked fish. On the cost and returns, the study revealed the mean value of total cost to be ₦305,690 and the mean amount of the total income generated by the respondents to be ₦495,850. The total income was greater than the total cost, which implies that the business was profitable. The results of Tobit regression model analysis revealed that age, level of education, family size and access to useful food safety practices were found to significantly influence the number of food safety practices used by the respondents in the study area. On the constraints to the use of food safety practices, the study revealed that the respondents were facing different problems and the most prominent problem was the lack of storage facilities (88.3%).