Search results

The purpose of this paper is to examine the sanitation knowledge and practice of staff who work in restaurant kitchens and to suggest sanitation management plans and efficient ways to enhance sanitation knowledge and practice in the restaurant industry.

The survey research was conducted using a questionnaire composed of 73 questions in three areas of general information, sanitation knowledge, and sanitation practices. The respondents were selected from among kitchen staff working in restaurants that were both at least 198 m2 in size and listed in the Korean Foodservice Information database. The collected data were analyzed to identify the differences between sanitation knowledge and practices.

The results showed that the respondents were well aware of the importance of sanitation during food preparation and cooking whereas they had a relatively lack of personal hygiene. Age and education level of kitchen staff correlated with sanitation knowledge and practices, and kitchen staff working less than 12 hours per shift scored significantly higher in terms of sanitation knowledge than those who worked more hours per shift. Also, kitchen staff working in restaurant franchises showed higher levels of both knowledge and practice than those working in independent restaurants.

A more diversified sanitation-training program should be developed on the basis of the characteristics of kitchen staff members and restaurant characteristics. As kitchen staff members themselves have identified change in perspectives on sanitation as the most important factor for improving practice levels, the training should not only transmit information but should be developed into a training method.

This research provides suggestions for how restaurant kitchens in South Korea can make progress in a situation where sanitation implementation is limited to the transfer of knowledge.

This study aims to evaluate the consumer perceptions related to sanitation in the five-star hotels due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also identified the most significant sanitation dimensions and their influence on the pertinent emotions experienced by the hotel consumers.

It identified seven sanitation dimensions (i.e. exterior of the hotel, guestrooms, washrooms/restrooms, in-house restaurant dining, hotel employees, public areas and handling of food) which were assessed through 10 positive and negative consumer sanitation emotions. A structured online survey was conducted to collect data from the 763 five-star hotel consumers. Exploratory factor analysis was applied on the 35 parameters of the seven identified sanitation dimensions, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the most significant dimensions among the hotel consumers.

Results revealed that among the seven sanitation dimensions, “exterior of the hotel” and “public area” dimensions were found to be statistically less significant compared to the other sanitation dimensions. Findings related to consumer emotions showed that a significantly high percentage of consumers revealed strong negative emotions, i.e. disgust and discontent toward the poor standards of sanitation in the hotels.

The study results may be helpful for the hotel administrators and managers to adequately plan the training sessions for their employees based on the consumer perception and emotions toward the identified sanitation dimensions. Further, it may also help in the implementation of the COVID-19 awareness program based on the consumer inputs and perceptions.

Although a few studies have been performed to explore the sanitation dimensions in the hospitality sector before, but this will be a first attempt to identify and measure the sanitation dimensions and corresponding consumer emotions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To investigate the relationship between food safety knowledge, food safety attitudes, the accessibility of sanitation facilities, perceived economic and social constraints and food safety practices among food vendors of higher institutions of learning in Bauchi State, Nigeria.

A purposive sampling method was used to select 6 out of 13 public higher institutions of learning in the state and a random sampling method was used in selecting 181 food vendors from the list of 342 food vendors in the 6 institutions. Face-to-face survey interviews were carried out between June–September 2018 completing a structured questionnaire.

The result of the structural equation model revealed that food safety knowledge, food safety attitudes and economic and social control affected the food safety behaviour of the food vendors. Inaccessibility to sanitation facilities affected food safety behaviour negatively.

Appropriate measures to improve the food safety behaviour of food vendors in higher institutions of learning could include, for example, food safety training that could increase food safety knowledge and awareness, as well as improved access to sanitation facilities at vending sites.

There is no previous study that investigates the relationship between food safety knowledge, food safety attitudes, social and economic constraints, access to sanitation facilities and the food safety behaviour of food vendors in higher educational institutions in Nigeria.

This chapter reflects on the approach and learning of an innovative project in Bangladesh that addresses drinking water security issues of the poor and marginal communities through participatory research, innovation, and social mobilization. The people, living in the most difficult geophysical areas, are facing severe crisis of drinking water and associated health risks due to remoteness, seasonality, social isolation, and poor institutional links. The geophysical constraints such as growing salinity, arsenic, flood and drought, and drawdown of groundwater tables have aggravated the problems. The existing government services hardly reach to the most unserved and needy people because of remoteness and lack of responsiveness of the government departments. A participatory action research project led to collective understanding about the severity of the problems and associated health risks and vulnerability. This again built greater awareness and motivated the poor, women, and marginal communities to establish links with key actors and take various local and collective actions toward ensuring their greater access to drinking water, sanitation facilities, and health services from the relevant government departments and development agencies.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of food handlers about food hygiene and sanitation in biscuit industry of central marketing company in Jessore, Bangladesh.

A self-administered, structured questionnaire was designed and data were collected during the period of April to July 2016 from 110 food handlers using simple random sampling.

The results show that the food handlers had excellent knowledge, attitude and good practices toward food hygiene and sanitation and food contamination related to food safety. The mean score (standard deviation) of knowledge, attitudes and practices were 20.1 (3.9), 18.6 (3.1) and 16.7 (3.3), respectively (p < 0.007). There was significant correlation between food safety training and knowledge, knowledge and attitude or knowledge and practices (p < 0.001). The majority (90.9 per cent) of the respondents stated that they intended to make sure that the prepared food was safe for consumers, which was significant (p < 0.007). Almost all of the food workers were aware of the critical role of general sanitary practices in the work place. The study suggests that the knowledge, attitude and practice level of food handlers were satisfactory.

Continuous education and training should be organized to strengthen food handlers’ knowledge in areas which seem to be deficient.

The study examines the interrelationships of food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices, and the moderating effect of food safety training on the said interrelationships.

Predictive-causal was the primary research design used and partial least squares – structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was the statistical technique applied.

Results showed that food safety knowledge significantly and positively influences attitudes towards food safety. It was further revealed that attitudes toward food safety and food safety practices are also significantly and positively related. Moderation analysis indicated that food safety training moderates the significant and positive relationship between attitudes towards food safety and food safety practices.

The present study has limitations. First, the unit of analysis is focused on food handlers in fast-food restaurants in Angeles City, Philippines. Other researchers may come up with similar studies on a larger scale – provincial, regional or national. Second, only food safety training as a construct was used as a moderator on the hypothesized relationships of the structural model. Other studies may expand and explore other moderating variables and/or mediating constructs that may affect the said hypothesized relationships.

Based on the present study, food safety knowledge was found to have a huge significant and direct influence on attitudes of fast-food restaurant food handlers towards food safety, as evidenced by the computed effect size. In short, knowledge on food safety is an integral factor when it comes to enhancing food safety attitudes of fast-food restaurant food handlers. When fast-food restaurant food handlers are well-equipped with the right food safety knowledge, they become more aware of the different food safety protocols and other pertinent food safety guidelines and procedures which can lead to favorable food safety attitudes.

The present study highlighted the moderating effect of food safety training on the relationship between attitudes toward food safety and food safety practices. Therefore, regular attendance of food handlers to food safety training is crucial in developing acceptable attitudes toward food safety, which in turn, favorably affect their food safety practices in fast-food restaurants.

The current study utilized PLS-SEM, a second-generation statistical technique, to measure the hypothesized relationships as compared to correlation tests performed by prior studies on the interrelationships of food safety knowledge, attitudes toward food safety and food safety practices. PLS-SEM is suitable for this type of research design – predictive-causal – since this study involves model development and prediction. Furthermore, it employed moderation analysis to measure the moderating effects of food safety training on the identified hypothesized relationships of the structural model. Hence, methodologically, the present study employed new ways and insights in measuring the interrelationships of food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices.

The main purpose of this paper was to evaluate the validation process of food safety control measures.

The validation of control measures has been analyzed at 50 food companies in Serbia. The sample included companies that produce food of both plant and animal origin and have certified food safety management systems. A total of 156 control measures that combat physical hazards (41.6%), followed by microbial hazards (34.0%) and chemical hazards (24.4%), have been analyzed. To enable quantification of the validation protocols, each control measure was assigned a score.

The validation scores showed that the highest level of validation was observed in large companies, as opposed to small and medium-sized companies (p < 0.05). The type of food safety hazards and the food sector did not reveal any statistical differences in-between the scores. The main approach to validating control measures was referring to the technical documentation of equipment used (52.6%), followed by scientific and legal requirements (30.7%). Less than 20% of the analyzed control measures were validated with operational data collected on-site. No mathematical modeling was observed for the sampled food companies. Future steps should include the development of validation guides for different types of control measures and training modules.

This study can serve as an improvement guide for food safety consultants, food safety auditors, certification bodies, inspection services, food technologists and food managers.

This study is one of the first to provide an insight into how food companies validate their control measures to combat microbial, chemical and physical food safety hazards.

This study aims to examine the major influences of food choices of Chinese teenagers within a dynamic food marketing environment.

The paper reports findings from semi-structured interviews with high school students which examine teenagers’ guidelines for selecting food, along with their actual eating behavior.

The results reflect on how four major influences – personal, family, peer and retailer – may intersect to affect the eating behaviors of Chinese adolescents, as they navigate an intense education schedule during a time of rapidly changing cultural values. Different norms of food choice – nutrition, food safety, taste, body image, price, convenience, sharing, friendship and fun – are evoked according to the social context and concurrent activities of the teenagers.

The findings offer tentative insights related to the potential for promoting healthier eating habits for adolescents in urban areas of China.

The study demonstrates how, within this rapidly changing food environment, food retailers are creating alliances with teenagers to meet needs of convenience, speed, taste and social interaction.

This study explored the experiences of quality professionals with the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system in the food industry in Canada. Similarities and differences between HACCP and ISO 9000 quality management systems were also highlighted. In this study, qualitative research was undertaken with selected medium to large‐sized food manufacturing companies. In‐depth telephone interviews were performed with quality professionals to allow the researcher the opportunity to elicit expertise and experience that are unique to the respondent. While the study was designed to be exploratory in nature and to form the basis for future research, several themes were identified. First, all companies used HACCP in conjunction with other internal programs such as product testing and supplier qualification to ensure product quality. Second, all companies perceived internal auditing as a way to ensure the quality programs. Finally, companies that had implemented both HACCP and ISO 9000 mentioned two main obstacles, i.e. resistance to change and fear of documentation.

Despite extensive investments in food handler training, research suggests that training programs are inconsistent, and rarely evaluated for efficacy. The generic prescriptive content and school‐like delivery methods used in current food safety training may be a barrier to application. The purpose of this paper is to develop a food safety communication tool, food safety infosheets, targeted specifically to foodservice food handlers, utilizing popular media stories to illustrate the consequences of poor food handling.

Food safety infosheets were designed to be surprising, connect food handlers' actions and consequences, and generate discussion through a verbal narrative framework. A Delphi‐like exercise (n=19), a posting pilot (n=8) were carried out to assess the appropriateness of the concept of food safety infosheets. An intense participatory ethnographic study with an Ontario, Canada, restaurant, and in‐depth interviews with food service operators in Manhattan, Kansas, and Lansing, Michigan, (n=17) were conducted to gather qualitative data on the food service kitchen environment, including barriers to food safety practices, and the communication preferences of those who work in such kitchens.

The expert group, foodservice operators, and food handlers accepted food safety infosheets as an appropriate concept and valued storytelling as an effective communication strategy. Learning in the kitchen environment is largely hands‐on and visual, and time pressure dictates practices. It is often difficult to attract and keep the attention of food handlers. Storytelling, celebrity and local outbreaks are of interest to the target audience.

This paper provides a blueprint for the design and refinement of food safety communication tools targeted towards a specific audience. By utilizing multiple methodologies, it provides a framework for other researchers to follow.