Food Sanitation and Hygiene Practices among Food Handlers in Food Joints in Hyderabad

How to cite this paper: Mrs. Meena Kumari | Ms Nasreen Begum | Sarah Jameel | Suroorunnisa | Sahina Parvin "Food Sanitation and Hygiene Practices among Food Handlers in Food Joints in Hyderabad" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 24566470, Volume-3 | Issue-4, June 2019, pp.755-760, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.c om/papers/ijtsrd23 421.pdf


INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The rapidly growing and changing food demands by urban dwellers has resulted in the need for cheaper and convenience foods. Food poisoning and other food borne diseases could occur through poor hygiene practices, especially in areas where food and drinks are served.
It is of good concern that World Health Organization (WHO, 2007) reported in the year 2005 that 1.8 million people died from diarrhea one of vary food borne diseases. For this reason, food borne diseases have captured public awareness worldwide in recent years. Centre Disease (3) Control and Prevention (CDC, 2000) identified five risk factors of food handling that add to food borne illnesses which include improper cooking procedure, temperature abuse during storage, lack of hygiene and sanitation by food handlers, cross contamination between raw and fresh ready to-eat foods.
In large scale cooking, food is handled by many individuals which increase the chances of food contamination due to improper handling and service. Intentional or accidental contamination of food during large scale production might endanger the health of consumers, and have very expensive repercussions on the public. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among institutional food-handlers in Hyderabad.
Food-borne disease is attributed to a wide variety of bacteria, parasites and viruses. It is worldwide and cause human illness just about everywhere (Scott and Sockett, 1998;Tauxe, 1998;WHO, 1998). (2) Food poisoning occurs as a result of consuming food contaminated with microorganisms, the contamination arising from inadequate storage methods, unhygienic food handling, cross-contamination from food contact surfaces, or from persons with poor hygiene.
Unhygienic practices during food preparation, handling and storage create the condition that allows the transmission of disease causing organisms such as bacteria, viruses and other food-borne microorganisms. Additionally, increased food borne illnesses have been attributed to careless food hygiene practices in big kitchens. (4) The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the governing body under the ministry of health and family welfare, Govt of India. It has been established under Food Safety and Standards , 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food related issues in various Ministries and Departments. FSSAI has been created for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
To provide assurance of food safety, Food businesses must implement an effective Food Safety Management System (FSMS) based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and suitable pre-requisite programmes by actively controlling hazards throughout the food chain starting from food production till final consumption.
Hence a need was felt to assess the knowledge and practices regarding food sanitation and hygiene among food handlers of food joints were felt and hence this survey was planned and executed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was conducted using a descriptive, structured questionnaire in 25 restaurants by conducting face to face interview of food-handlers. The questionnaire was used to elicit information to collect information on (i) age, education qualification, , (ii) knowledge on food safety, (iii) attitudes towards food safety and (v) sanitation and hygiene practices. Some aspects of the study also comprised of observations made by the interviewer.Face-to-face interviews were conducted using structured questionnaire to collect information on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the food-handlers on food sanitation and hygiene practices.
The questionnaire consisted of questions with food sanitation knowledge comprising close-ended questions with three possible answers; "true", "false", and "do not know". These questions specifically dealt with respondents' knowledge of personal hygiene, cross contamination, foodborne diseases, microorganisms, temperature control and hygienic practices.
In section five, which dealt with food hygiene practices, the good hygienic practices of respondents (institutional foodhandlers) were assessed and evaluated based on selfreporting of personal hygiene and other safe food handling practices.

RESULTS
1. The survey was conducted in 110 food handlers of which 80% people questioned were men and 20% were women.

DISCUSSION
The awareness of such important hygienic procedures by majority of the institutional food-handlers in this study is very appropriate. This is because the hands of food-handlers can serve as vectors in the spread of food borne diseases due to poor personal hygiene or cross-contamination. Proper hand washing by food-handlers has been reported to significantly decrease the threat of diarrheal disease in and can therefore be encouraged as it could similarly help minimize the risk of diarrhea and other food borne diseases in similar institutions.
Hand washing practices should be emphasized to food handlers as the hands need to be washed carefully before touching food or any sort and particularly after handling raw food ingredient, which will introduce bacteria daily to the kitchen and before continuing with Roberts, 1993). (4) Food handlers should therefore receive suitable training in the basic principles of food safety (WHO, 1998) (5).
Through the data received it was observed that majority of the working staff would gladly like to be a part of food hygiene training program. The program can be conducted among the entire team of managing staff based on the importance of food hygiene, personal hygiene, cross contamination and safer temperatures of cooking, serving and storage of foods.
At the end of the training period, the knowledge and understanding of food safety on the part of food handlers should be tested. The use of attractive and explicit postertype displays in workrooms is considered to be effective way of reminding food handlers of various aspects of food safety (WHO, 1988b) (6).

CONCLUSION
From the above survey, we are able to draw out various conclusions. We learn that most of the food service establishments in Hyderabad are aware of the basic hygiene practices. They are very particular about the personal hygiene of the staff and sanitation of the food being prepared. We also come to know that they take proper care of the ingredients they use when it comes to selection and storage. We learn that they are concerned about the cleanliness of their establishments and their sanitation and pest control routine. Apart from all of this we can understand the educational qualifications of the people working in such establishments and their interest and vigor in learning more about food sanitation and its importance and methods.
Particular attention should be given to the importance of time and temperature control, personal hygiene, cross contamination, sources of contamination and the factors determining the survival and growth of pathogenic organisms in food (WHO, 1988b; Goh, 1997). (7) By doing the survey we are able to understand the situation of food sanitation in various establishments in Hyderabad. Such information is very helpful to evaluate the occurrences of food borne illness and helps us come about at various ways in which we can combat it.
From the present study the situation of food sanitation and hygiene practices in various establishments in Hyderabad was concluded. Such information is very helpful to evaluate the occurrences of food borne illness and helps us come about at various ways in which we can combat it.

RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations can be advised. Food vendors' education is important issue as the vendors should be adequately educated about the relation between the food and disease transmission as well as on principles of personnel hygiene. The major authorities may issue the licenses to the street food vendors only once they fulfil the basic and essential food safety and hygiene principles.
A routine health examination of the food handlers at these street food stalls must be carried out by the health officers to keep a check and maintain the hygienic conditions at the food stalls. Periodic training of these vendors can help improve and maintain the conditions.