Implementation of good hygiene practices in food trucks with and without the intervention of a food safety expert

Abstract

AbstractThis study evaluated the implementation of good hygiene practices in food trucks with and without the intervention of a food safety expert. Fifty‐three food trucks were divided into control group and intervention group. The study was carried out in three stages: (a) evaluation of good hygiene practices in both groups through a list of categories and development of an action plan; (b) participation of a food safety expert in the intervention group; and (c) second assessment of good hygiene practices in both groups. At the latter stage, both groups showed significant improvements on average. The intervention group presented greater progress in the last evaluation, with significantly higher adequacy percentages (p < 0.05) in all categories evaluated. The control group showed improvement in only 50% of the categories. These results revealed the importance of food safety experts in the implementation of hygiene practices in foodservices.Practical applicationsThe aim of this work was to evaluate the implementation of good hygiene practices in food trucks with and without the intervention of a food safety expert. Compliance to hygiene practices increased significantly when food safety consultants participated in the program. The results presented here contribute to raising awareness among food truck owners and staff on the importance of investing in food safety experts to ensure an effective implementation of good hygiene practices and accordingly reduce contamination risks in these establishments.