Food Handlers' Awareness about Food Safety Standards

Mohamed Hamdy Ibrahim Ali, Suzan; Abd El-Sattar Ahmed, Magda; Sobhy, Ghada

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2025.454881

Food Handlers' Awareness about Food Safety Standards

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Member of the technical office, Vice chairman office Egypt Health Care Authority

² Professor of Community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University.

³ Lecturer of community Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University.

10.21608/ejhc.2025.454881

Abstract

Background: Food safety is essential for protecting public health. Knowledgeable food handlers can minimize the risk of outbreaks, ensuring that customers are safe from foodborne pathogens. A descriptive research design was used aiming to assess food handlers' awareness of food safety standards. The study was conducted at the kitchens of the General Authority of Health Care agency in Port Said Governorate. Sampling: A convenient sampling technique was employed to select participants, with seventy food handlers included in the study. Tools: Two tools were used; The first tool was an interview questionnaire for food handlers, which included socio-demographic data, health certificates, vaccination status, training, and food handlers' knowledge regarding food safety standards. The second tool consisted of observational checklists completed by the researcher to evaluate food safety practices. The results demonstrated that 25.7% of the studied food handlers had a good level of knowledge, while 40% had an inadequate level of practices regarding food safety standards. Conclusion: The findings indicated a statistically significant relationship between food handlers’ knowledge and their age & job. Additionally, there was a statistically significant relationship between food handlers' practices and their experience. However, no correlation was found between the total level of food handlers' knowledge and their total practices. Recommendations include implementing orientation programs alongside on-the-job training, continuous food safety training, and integrating employee appraisal programs with the outcomes of food safety training for food handlers in hospital kitchens. Further research is needed to enhance food handlers’ knowledge and practices regarding food safety.

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