To Determine the Level of Food Handlers' Understanding of Food Safety and Hygiene with the Goal of Publishing a Guidebook

Abstract

Background: The first step in making sure the food you handle and make is fit for human consumption is to practise good food safety and food hygiene. Consumers are at risk for food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses if standards of food safety and hygiene are not strictly enforced. Protecting the health of consumers necessitates a focus on food cleanliness and food safety.

Material and Method: method based on evaluation. Fifty city of Karad food handlers participated in the study. We used a pre- and post-test design with a single sample. Non-probability The samples were selected with a deliberate strategy. Fifty individuals involved in the food service industry served as the sample size. Knowledge of food safety and food hygiene practises was assessed by structured questions on day one, an informative booklet was distributed on day seven, and a post-test was given on day ten. The information was catalogued and evaluated so that researchers could gauge food handlers' awareness of and adherence to best practises for preventing foodborne illness in their workplaces in Karad.

Result: Among the demographic variables examined, it was determined that there were exactly as many women as men. The majority (58%) of the samples were made up of people between the ages of 30 and 39, the majority (52%) had between 1 and 5 years of experience working in the food service industry, and 66% were vaccinated against food-borne illnesses. There was an 84% increase in knowledge about maintaining safe temperatures for food among those who work in the industry, a 90% increase in familiarity with properly preparing food, an 86% increase in familiarity with properly rinsing containers and equipment, and an 84% increase in familiarity with proper hand washing procedures. Due to this finding, it was raised in the follow-up test. The average knowledge score on the assessment (31.08+3.02) exceeded the baseline score of 16.50+4.40. This proves that educating adolescent girls with an information pamphlet about reproductive health is successful.

Conclusion: The research concluded that providing food handlers with an information booklet was an efficient way to boost their food safety awareness and hygiene practises. Food handlers' understanding of food safety and hygiene standards was found to improve when they were given an instructional booklet on the subject.