Seashell specialties and food handling in Slovene Istria restaurants

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to evaluate the offer of seashell specialties in Slovene Istria restaurants, and to assess food safety knowledge (gained through formal and informal education) as well as to assess the behaviour of food handlers in preparing shell dishes. A self-administered questionnaire was designed that included four sections: a demographic section, a general section, a restaurant menu offer, and a food safety section related to preparation of seashell specialties. Seashell specialties were offered in 41 restaurants, of which the employed food handlers 24 attended formal education and 17 informal education. Seashells specialties and seashell menus are commonly part of the culinary and gastronomic specialties along the Slovene coast, with the most frequently offered main dish being “Blue Mussels alla Busara”. Results the questionnaire indicated poor food safety knowledge and poor behaviour regardless of the (in)formal education of those who prepared the dishes. We propose that formal education for catering workers preparing shell dishes should be much more emphasized.