Bahir dar ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Lack of basic infrastructure, oor kno!

"ed#e of h$#iene and ractices in food ser%ice estab"ish&ents can contribute to outbreaks of foodborne i""nesses' The ai&s of this stud$ !ere to in%esti#ate the food safet$ kno!"ed#e and ractices of food hand"ers and to assess the sanitar$ conditions of food ser%ice estab"ish&ents in Bahir Dar to!n' ()T*ODS: A cross+ sectiona" stud$ !as conducted in Bahir Dar in (a$ ,-.. and data !ere co""ected usin# /uestionnaire and obser%ation check"ist on e& "o$ees0 kno!"ed#e of food h$#iene and their ractices as !e"" on sanitar$ conditions of the food ser%ice estab"ish&ents R)SULTS: The &edian a#e of the food hand"ers !as ,, $ears and a&on# the 122 sub3ects 44 5,.'678 ha%e had food h$#iene trainin#' Si9t$ si9 ercent of the estab"ish&ents had f"ush toi"ets !hereas 2'47 of the estab"ish&ent had no toi"et' On"$ .14 5::';78 of the estab"ish&ents had a ro er so"id !aste co""ection rece tac"e and there !as statistica""$ si#nificant association bet!een the sanitar$ conditions and "icense status of the estab"ish&ents 5 <-'-.8' (ost of a"", kno!"ed#e #a in food h$#iene and hand"in# ractice !as obser%ed' =n addition, there !as statistica""$ si#nificant difference bet!een trained 5 rofessiona"8 hand"ers and non+trained hand"ers !ith re#ard to food h$#iene ractices 5 >-'-28' ?hi"e &ore than 2-7 of the hand"ers re are &ea"s ahead of the eak se""in# ti&e, &ore than 2-7 of the "eft o%er !as oor"$ &ana#ed' CONCLUS=ON: This stud$ re%ea"ed oor sanitar$ conditions and oor food h$#iene ractices of hand"ers' )ducationa" ro#ra&s tar#eted at i& ro%in# the attitude of food hand"ers and "icensin# and re#u"ar ins ections ha%e been reco&&ended'