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Do as I say or as I do? Food handler's knowledge on good handling practices and evaluation of hygienic–sanitary conditions in hospital foodservices
Author(s) -
Barbosa Fernanda Montenegro,
Souza Camila Valdejane Silva,
Ribeiro Ellane Sabryna,
Azevedo Paulo Roberto Medeiros,
Silva Chaves Damasceno Karla Suzanne Florentino,
Mont'Alverne Jucá Seabra Larissa
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of food safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.427
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1745-4565
pISSN - 0149-6085
DOI - 10.1111/jfs.12869
Subject(s) - hygiene , food hygiene , environmental health , food safety , food preparation , medicine , hand washing , food science , chemistry , pathology
The aim of the study was to evaluate the overall hygienic–sanitary conditions of university hospitals foodservices and assess food safety knowledge and self‐reported practices of food handlers. A self‐administered questionnaire based on sanitary standards for foodservices was given to 123 food handlers from three public hospitals. Microbiological analysis of food handling surfaces and food hygiene inspections were also performed. Food handlers' self‐reported knowledge and practices reached satisfactory levels (77.2% and 78.1%, respectively), and showed a significant positive intercorrelation ( p < .05). Food hygiene inspections in the hospitals foodservices presented a 60.9% average of adequacy and microbiological analysis results showed that 66.7% of the evaluated surfaces presented significant contamination by mesophilic bacteria. The presence of coliforms at 45°C above the safety limit was identified in 47.9% of the surfaces. The results showed a need for motivating hospital food handlers to practice the safe handling knowledge that they have demonstrated in theory.