The development of a competence scale of food safety and hygiene for hospitality students

Abstract

AbstractThis study aims to develop a competence scale of food safety and hygiene for hospitality students and tests the factorial structure and validity by conducting confirmatory factor analysis to test for measurement invariance, as well as to determine scale reliability. The results indicate good discriminant validity, convergence validity, and reliability. The two‐level model ‐ two factors have significant better than other models. The food safety and hygiene competence scale includes professional competence dimensions (laws and regulations, basic hygiene knowledge, pre‐handing concepts, food operation procedures, and peripheral norms and regulations) and core competence dimensions (working spirit and attitude).Practical applicationsFood safety is a global important health issue. Many employees who study or have graduated from hospitality related departments work in the hospitality industry. The delivering existing food handler training programs within schools be an important mechanism to maintain the safety and hygiene in the work. The developed food safety and hygiene scale including professional competence dimensions (laws and regulations, basic hygiene knowledge, pre‐handing concepts, food operation procedures, and peripheral norms and regulations) and core competence dimensions (working spirit and attitude) has been development successfully for the students of hospitality departments.