Assessment Of Food Safety Practices Research Articles

Assessment of Food Safety Practices among Smoked Fish Sellers in Ekiti State, Nigeria

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%).

Assessment of food safety practices followed by street food vendors

Assessment of food safety practices followed by street food vendors

Modeling critical factors for assessing Indian food safety practices

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 in India: modelling enablers

PurposeThe ever-widening competitive global markets demand food business to demonstrate safe food supplies across the world. The causes of food borne illness are complex to determine and require a careful evaluation of all stages of food supply chain and food safety practices. The purpose of this paper is to systematically investigate the factors responsible for the assessment of food supply chain and evaluation of food safety system in India.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilizes a combination of qualitative and quantitative approach by exploring expert’s opinion systematically using a semi-structured interview followed by careful grouping of responses using the grounded theory approach to build the research theme. The prioritization of the critical factors is carried out using Pareto analysis. The methodological review was carried out to identify factors and categorize them based on their impact on hierarchical logical relationship using total interpretive structural modeling approach to determine the enablers.FindingsThis paper attempts to deliver an inimitable list of seven vital factors for the effective design of evaluation system for food safety practices. The study provides a careful insight on the issue pertaining to designing of assessment system including competence building for assessor and availability of well-defined technical protocol. The recommendation for developing a robust food safety inspection system by implementing stricter regulation, enhancing competence and design initiatives is provided.Originality/valueThe study provides a unique list of factors for the assessment of food safety practices and develops the relationship. Food safety assessment is an integral part of food safety study which is systematically explored and conceptualized in this paper. The study is carried out using the opinion of Indian experts.

어린이 급식소의 위생관리 실태 조사 및 방문지도에 따른 위생관리 개선 효과 분석

어린이 급식소의 위생관리 실태 조사 및 방문지도에 따른 위생관리 개선 효과 분석

Assessment of food safety practices among cassava processors in selected rural communities of Oyo state, Nigeria

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.

Assessment of food safety practices of food service food handlers (risk assessment data): testing a communication intervention (evaluation of tools).

Globally, foodborne illness affects an estimated 30% of individuals annually. Meals prepared outside of the home are a risk factor for acquiring foodborne illness and have been implicated in up to 70% of traced outbreaks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called on food safety communicators to design new methods and messages aimed at increasing food safety risk-reduction practices from farm to fork. Food safety infosheets, a novel communication tool designed to appeal to food handlers and compel behavior change, were evaluated. Food safety infosheets were provided weekly to food handlers in working food service operations for 7 weeks. It was hypothesized that through the posting of food safety infosheets in highly visible locations, such as kitchen work areas and hand washing stations, that safe food handling behaviors of food service staff could be positively influenced. Using video observation, food handlers (n = 47) in eight food service operations were observed for a total of 348 h (pre- and postintervention combined). After the food safety infosheets were introduced, food handlers demonstrated a significant increase (6.7%, P < 0.05, 95% confidence interval) in mean hand washing attempts, and a significant reduction in indirect cross-contamination events (19.6%, P < 0.05, 95% confidence interval). Results of the research demonstrate that posting food safety infosheets is an effective intervention tool that positively influences the food safety behaviors of food handlers.