Food safety awareness and food handling practices among rural population of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Background: Food borne diseases (FBD) are illness caused by consuming contaminated food or drink. The contamination can occur anywhere from farm to the plate and can lead to a variety of avoidable infectious diseases. The high prevalence of food borne illness at home could be attributed to poor food hygiene and preparation due to poor awareness of proper practices. The objective of the study was to assess the awareness and practice of food safety at home among rural population in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu state.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Kelambaakam village, Kancheepuram district from November 2016 to April 2017 with a sample size of 200. A pretested semi structured questionnaire was used to collect the data.Results: Among the 200 study participants, 50.5% of the subjects have the knowledge regarding nutritive value getting diminished because of overcooking. Around 33% lack the knowledge of proper methods of washing vegetables. While 36% said consuming food not freshly prepared may lead to food poisoning, 23.5% have no idea about that. Around 46% consider price the most, rather than damaged packing (17%) or expiry date (19%) while purchasing food items in super market. Around 43.5% have the attitude that carbonated drinks help in food digestion.Conclusions: Community awareness through systematic teaching regarding basic food safety guidelines is necessary to avoid many food borne infectious diseases in rural areas.