Demetra (May 2018)

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF FOOD HANDLERS IN FOOD SERVICES

  • Carla Ionara Xavier da Silveira Cardoso,
  • Marcos Gilson Gomes Feitosa,
  • Dinara Leslye Macedo e Silva Calazans

DOI
https://doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2018.30779
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 275 – 292

Abstract

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Aim: Assessing the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers working in food services. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study conducted with food handlers from 15 food services: 75 individuals, in total. A questionnaire containing sociodemographic, as well as knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) evaluation questions was applied. The self-administered questionnaire comprised 30 questions about good food-handling practices. Scores equal to or higher than 70% were considered adequate to evaluate each block and the questionnaire as a whole. Data were analyzed in the SPSS software version 22. Results and Discussion: 64% of the herein evaluated food handlers performed commercial restaurant activities, 84% were women, and 52% had high school education. With respect to the KAP questions, the knowledge and attitude blocks recorded lower scores than the practice block. The mean score in the questionnaire was 54.9 ± 4.18. Failures in the understanding and knowledge about food handling may lead to lower awareness about proper handling procedures and result in false ideas about food safety. Conclusion: Food handlers presented food handling-knowledge deficiencies; therefore, it is necessary training them so they can aggregate information to improve their performance. DOI: 10.12957/demetra.30528

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