1

1. Introduction
Restaurants have been implicated as one of the most frequent settings for food-borne illness
outbreaks. Unlike food prepared at home, one food safety mistake by a Food-service worker
can affect many people. While most outbreaks at restaurants are local, there are many
examples of regional and national outbreaks. About 700 people reported illness and four
children died as a result of eating contaminated meat purchased at 73 Jack in the Box
restaurants (Golan et al., 2004). In November 2003, an outbreak at a single restaurant in
Pennsylvania, US, resulted in 601 patrons contracting Hepatitis A. Of these cases, 124 were
hospitalized and three died (Wheeler
et al., 2005). During November 2003, 324 people became ill from Salmonella enteritidis after
eating at an Asian restaurant/takeaway in Bradford, UK (Clapham et al., 2006). More than 400
suspected cases of food poisoning were traced to two Turkish restaurants in Melbourne,
Australia in 2005 resulting in at least seven hospitalizations (Barnes, 2005). In two separate
incidents, over 600 patrons reported becoming ill after eating at two Lansing, Michigan, US,
restaurants in the spring of 2006; at both restaurants, norovirus was confirmed as the source of
the illnesses (Marler Clark, 2006).

Bangladesh, a third world developing country of South Asia, is not an exception in this case.
Consumption of unsafe food is a serious threat to public health in Bangladesh for last couple of
decades. Food safety continues to be a public health problem worldwide because food borne
illnesses are widespread. Consequently, consumers are increasingly concerned about food
safety and quality; and demand more transparency in production and distribution (P. T. Akonor,
M. A. Akonor 2013). The global incidence of food borne disease is difficult to estimate, but it
has been reported that 2.1 million people died each year from diarrheal diseases. A great
proportion of these cases can be attributed to contamination of food and drinking water (Fact
sheet, 2002)

2
Food safety guarantees that foods are protected from biological, chemical or physical dangers
throughout the food chain and does not affect the health of the consumers. Producers, food
processors, transporters and storage operators compromise a food chain in which there are
retail sale places and foodservices (equipment costs, package material, cleaning agents, solid
and component producers, etc.) (World Health Organization 2006). In global food production,
processing, distribution and preparation create an increasing demand for food safety research
in order to ensure a safer global food supply. It is known that food safety encompasses actions
aimed at ensuring that all food is as safe as possible. Food safety policies and actions need to
cover the entire food chain, from production to consumption. Food-borne illnesses constitute
an important health problem in both developed and developing countries; additionally, the
number of notified incidence of food-borne illnesses in these countries has increased
significantly day by day (Mossel 1989; Todd 1989; Notermans et al. 1994). Food-borne diseases
throughout the world have shown that the majority of outbreaks result from improper food
preparation procedure in small food businesses, canteens, homes, hotels, and other places
where food is prepared for consumption (Motarjemi and Käferstein 1999; Bas¸ et al. 2006;
Seamana and Evesb 2006). In industrialized countries, 30% of the society suffers from food-
oriented diseases. One hundred thirty million people are affected by food-oriented diseases in
Europe and Asia each year (De Waal 2003). It has been indicated with the various studies that
contaminated food in America has led to 5,000 deaths and 76 million disease events (Medeiros
et al. 2001; De Waal 2003). A total of 84,340 and 77,515 cases of food-borne disease were
notified in 1999 and 2000, respectively, in Turkey (Soner and Ozgen 2002; The Ministry of
Health of Turkey 2006). A number of bacteria, viruses and parasites have emerged as food-
borne pathogens and resulted in numerous food-borne disease outbreaks. These outbreaks
have economic costs for health care. Changes in social attitudes and eating habits, changes in
food production and distribution systems, increase in the number of immune compromised
individuals, and improved pathogen-detection methods are some of the factors that have
contributed to the emergence/recognition and persistence of food-borne pathogens (Topal
1996; Tunail 2000). Additionally, the recent increase in the number of certain food-borne

3
disease incidence has been attributed to many other factors. Rapid urbanization,
industrialization and rapid population growth in the cities lead to increased food consumption
in collective eating places. Changes in food preparation habits, growth in foodservice
establishments, increased consumption of food outside the home, and a lack of food safety
training and education among food handlers and consumers lead to an increase in food-borne
illnesses (Motarjemi and Käferstein 1999; Seamana and Evesb 2006; Acikel et al. 2008).
Mishandling of food plays a significant role in the occurrence of food-borne illness. Improper
food handling may be implicated in 97% of all food-borne illness associated with catering
outlets (Howes et al. 1996). Microbiological risk in the kitchen may be decreased significantly by
preparing food properly; otherwise, kitchens in hotels, restaurants and other places can also
become an important contamination point for food. Therefore, the kitchen staff plays an
important role in food safety. It is pointed out that the hands of foodservice employees may be
causing cross-contamination because of poor personal hygiene (Michaels et al. 2004; Bas¸ et al.
2006). All the problems related to food handling, inadequate or insufficient storage and poor
hygienic conditions increase the risk of contracting food-borne diseases (Lucca and Torres
2006). If food handlers develop a correct perception of hygiene, it is possible to succeed in this
field, and as a result of this success, the risk of food borne illnesses will decrease (Clayton et al.
2002). Forming a food safety system in hotels and engaging the staff correctly in this system
plays an important role in the tourism sector. It is a known fact that supplying consumers with
healthy and qualified food is proportional with the food’s production, storage by employees in
hygienic conditions, and conveying the prepared food, in the same conditions, to consumption
points by service employees (Durlu-Özkaya et al. 2008). When working conditions, personal
hygiene and tools used by food handlers are not favorable, food poisoning occurs (Cakıroglu
and Ucar 2008). The staff should pay attention to the surfaces of the tools used for food and
beverages’ preparation and of cooking and service fields, and to the cleanliness of their hands,
body and clothing in order to prevent the transition of pathogen microorganisms to the food
(Sneed et al. 2004). Some of the worst habits the staff working in food and beverage sector
have include touching prepared food with fingers, playing with his nose, scratching their head
and their acnes, tasting food with unwashed and dirty spoons, not washing their hands after

4
touching their nose and mouth, using food preparation sinks for washing hands, and touching
the inside of plates and glasses with their hands (Bas and Merdol 2002). It is obligatory, in terms
of consumer health, that the kitchen staff working for hotels and holiday villages, wherein more
than 1,000 people eat simultaneously, must know some hygiene and sanitation rules, and obey
them in order to prevent consumers from being food poisoned. Food handler training is seen as
one strategy whereby food safety can be increased, offering long-term benefit to the food
industry and sector (Smith 1994). There are many studies concerning hygiene perception of the
staff who works in hotel kitchens of the various cities in Turkey. Along with this, this type of
study has not been carried out before in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Therefore, in this study
the hygiene perception levels of the staff working in food and beverage services in the hotels of
Ankara have been analyzed

The main aim of food hygiene is to prevent food poisoning and other food-borne illnesses.
Epidemiological and surveillance data suggest that faulty practices in food handling, storage
and processing may play an important role in the causal chain of food-borne illnesses.
Therefore, if proper food and personal hygiene is not well practiced this might put patients at
risk of food-borne illnesses, particularly those at greater risk, which are children, pregnant
women, the elderly and those with chronic diseases (Tauxe, Doyle, Kuchenmuller et al., 2010;
WHO, 2002). It is estimated that 48 million food-borne illnesses occur in the United States (US)
annually, with 128000 people being hospitalized and 3000 dying from eating contaminated
food (Centers for Disease and Control (CDC), 2010). Pathogens known to be responsible for
food-borne illnesses in the US include Salmonella, norovirus, Campylobacter, Toxoplasma,
Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Listeria and Clostridium perfringes (CDC, 2010). In the African region
data regarding foodborne illnesses are very scarce but studies have shown that the most
prevalent pathogens are: Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, Hepatitis, Brucella, 2
Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and rotavirus (Centre for Science in the
Public Interest, CSPI, 2005).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has long been aware of the need to educate food
handlers about their responsibilities for food safety; therefore they have been introducing the

5
Five Keys to Safer Food which include: keep clean, separate raw from cooked, cook food
thoroughly, keep food at safe temperature and use safe water and raw materials
(http://www.who.int/food safety, accessed 04/02/2014).
Effective management of microbiological hazards can be enhanced by making use of
preventative approaches, providing continuous education to food handlers on food hygiene
and food safety, ensuring that monitoring systems are in place and increasing the power of
health inspectors with regards to food inspection. The WHO (2002) reported that the control of
safety during the manufacturing process and handling of food is best achieved by means of the
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) technique. It is therefore critical that personnel
responsible for food services maintain proper food safety and hygiene practices in order to
prevent food-borne illnesses among patients.
One obstacle to food safety in Bangladesh is refuse disposal and lack of toilet facilities for the
customers. Most of the eating stalls around markets in Bangladesh are characterized by
unsanitary conditions, including poor water supply and poor drainage systems, unsanitary waste
disposal and overcrowding, resulting in poor personal and environmental hygiene. Another area
of food safety concern is the source foods, and ingredients supply.

Aim:
i. To evaluate the food safety knowledge and hygiene practices of restaurants food workers
in Dinajpur.
ii. To assess the knowledge regarding safety and hygiene among food workers as measured
by structured knowledge questionnaire.
iii. To determine the socio-demographic characteristics, food safety knowledge and hygiene
practice of the food workers.

6
7
2. Review of Literature

Roberts et al. (2011) conducted a U.S.-based study to determine safety practices per the Food
Code in ethnic and non-ethnic restaurants in Kansas. Four hundred and twenty four ethnic and
500 non-ethnic restaurants constituted the sample, and these were further classified as
independent or chain restaurants. A data collection form was developed to capture violation
information from inspection reports done over a 1-year period (2007-2008). Independent
ethnic restaurants had the highest number of critical (4.52 ± 2.85) and noncritical (2.84 ± 2.85)
violations (p < 0.001). Critical violations are more likely to contribute to food-borne illnesses.
Independent restaurants also had a greater number of violations than chain restaurants. The
violations were directly related to food handling practices, such as time and temperature
abuse, personal hygiene, and cross-contamination. Independent ethnic restaurants also had a
greater number of annual inspections (2.29 ± 1.63) (p < 0.001), indicating the presence of food
safety problems within these facilities. While Roberts et al. did not explore the knowledge of
food handlers with respect to food hygiene or the Food Code, improved knowledge and
culturally relevant training should improve food safety practices and reduce food violations.

A research study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of food
handlers in food businesses in Turkey. Total 764 food handlers were interviewed concerning to
food safety issues among food handlers. The result reveals that only 9.6% where using
protective gloves during their working activities, around 47.8% participant had not undergone
an basic food safety training, The mean food safety knowledge score was found 43.4+ or – 16.3.
Overall the study also reveals that food handlers had lack of knowledge regarding the basic
food hygiene. The paper highlights that they should be immediate need for education and
awareness regarding safe food handling practices among food handlers.

8
There are many sites that mobile food vendors and temporary stalls operate (Muyanja, Nayiga,
Brenda and Nasinyama, 2011). Commonly there are available at busy street-sides and corners
as well as bus stands (Muyanja et al., 2011). As in most emerging countries, poor food hygiene
and food handling practices were among the most alarming problems faced by the food control
authority (Selamat and Hassan, 2003). The safety of mobile food handler is affected by several
influences starting from the quality of the raw material, to food handling and storage practices.
In most cases, the process of preparing street food is exposed to unpleasant environmental
condition compared to food that prepared in premises. It shows that a mobile food handler has
been associated of causing food-borne illnesses. These practices had been seen among mobile
food handlers and hawkers as well as the numerous small-scale food processors or cottage
industries throughout the country (Muyanja et al., 2011). Therefore, this study was seek to
examine the influence of food safety knowledge amongst mobile food handlers with hygiene
practices and to investigate to what extent does mobile food handlers’ personal hygiene
influence their hygiene practices .(Saidatul AfazanAbdulAziz & Hayati Mohd Dahan 2013)

A study was done on evaluation of a health education intervention on knowledge and attitude
of food handlers working in a medical college in Delhi India. Among 136 samples the health
education was given them by interaction sessions using a flip chart and posters. After3 months
post test was conducted. The result showed that there was a significant increase in knowledge
about hand hygiene measures, namely washing hands before handling food 23.5% to 65.4% and
keeping nails cut and clean (8.1% to 57.4%) was observed baseline self reported hand washing
practice reveals low figures for washing hands after micturation (82.4%), smoking (52.8%) and
consistent use of soap at the workplace (24.3%), and after micturation (14. %)which improved
after health education but not to the desired extent finding highlight the importance of
providing health education in food and personal hygiene to food handlers and incorporation
the same in existing guidelines for good establishments laid down by civic agencies in Delhi and
elsewhere.

9
A survey study was conducted on food hygiene knowledge and attitude among Chinese food
handlers in Fong song tong district. Total 580 Chinese food handlers were interviewed face to
face with self designed questionnaire. Only 1.4% respondents achieved full scores of
knowledge. The correct response of personal hygiene knowledge was statistical and
significantly higher than food handling knowledge (p< 0.05). About 79% respondent showed
expressed there is need to food hygiene education. The study is explained of that compare with
secondary education at least, the secondary educated and above had better knowledge on food
hygiene. It expressed that there is need for motivation on traditional training model,
community based education etc.

A study was conducted in food safety knowledge and behavior of women infant and children
(WIC). Program participant in the united state in conjunction with industry efforts to reduce
food borne pathogens. Consumers play an important role in decreasing food borne. Total 1598
clients were surveyed. The result reveals that the majority of the respondents revived food
safety information through WIC (70.7%), family (63.1) and television (60.7%). 94.3% respondent
recognized necessity for washing and sanitizing cutting boards and utensils. But only 66.1%
knew the correct ways to sanitize. About 58.4% of respondent acceptable thawing method for
meat but 21% were used keeping meat on the counter or in a sink filled with water (20.6%). The
study also reveals that there is significant difference in knowledge behavior, thawing methods
among deferent racial and ethnic group, were white respondents had higher knowledge than
the black. The results of the study suggests that there is need for food safety education for own
income consumers.

A study was conducted at Amritsar city on the personal hygiene among food handlers. The
result reveals that the majority of the food handlers had lack of personal hygiene, like poorly
kept nails, irregular bath, dirty working cloth, lack of foot wear. Among food handlers 12.9%
were suffering from intestinal parasitic infestation out of which 42.8% were contributed by
entamoeba histolytica. Incidence of carrier state of salmonella among food handlers was found
to be 0.47%. It reveals that habits on personal hygiene among food handlers were not
satisfactory.

10
A community based cross-sectional study was conducted on health status and personal hygiene
among food handlers working at food establishment around a rural teaching hospital in Wardha
District of Maharashtra, India. Total 160 food handlers of both sex were selected randomly.
Stool examination and nail culture was also done. Point prevalence of morbidity was
54(33.75%) and period prevalence 26.25%. 21.87% were anemic microbial positively rate for
their stools and nail culture was 97%. The study explains that pre placement and periodical
medical checkup is the key to improve health status of food handlers for better food safety.

A study was conducted on food hygiene behavior among hospital food handlers.161 food
handlers of two different hospital settings were evaluated they also screened for nasal carriage
of staphylococcus aurous as well as for enteric pathogens and parasites only 28.8% were
observed to have actually washed their hands especially between handling cooked and
uncooked foods. The nasal carriage of staphylococcus aurous was 24%. Also a periodic in-
service programme of health education on food safety and hygiene should be introduced to
alert them of their responsibilities.13 The nature of this study precluded the use of observation
as the preferred method for collecting practice data. Food handlers were not interviewed on
the job; data were collected at the training sessions. Food handlers at training sessions came
from diverse food establishments across a wide geographic location; it was not feasible to
provide observers at these numerous establishments to observe their practices. Also,
observation was only performed on a limited number of variables within a particular time,
while self reported data can capture more information on more variables.

De Bess et al. (2009) also assessed food handlers in Oregon to determine their knowledge and
practices with respect to food hygiene and to ascertain possible gaps in education and training.
This cross-sectional quantitative survey consisted of a 28- question self-administered
questionnaire completed by food handlers from 67 (from a possible 1265) randomly selected
restaurants. In a survey, De Bess et al. sought information on knowledge of food-borne illnesses
and prevention, food hygiene, food handling practices, and demographics. Four hundred and
seven food handlers from food service, fast food, self-serve, and buffet dining restaurants in
two Oregon counties were included in the study. The average survey score was 68%, 2% below

11
the pass rate of 70% for Oregon. Forty-eight percent of food handlers scored below 70%. There
were significantly higher scores in food handlers who were certified (69% compared to 63%, p <
0.001), had tertiary education (73% versus 64%, p < 0.001) and were in management positions
at (74% versus 67%, p < 0.001). Generally, the questions concerning food contamination and
sanitation averaged about 70%, while those on food safety and personal hygiene averaged
below 70%. Food handlers demonstrated limited knowledge about food safety. One of the most
significant measures to reduce food-borne disease spread is good kitchen hygiene practices,
and this can be improved through the training of food handlers.

Santos et al. (2008) also looked at the knowledge levels of food handlers and their self-reported
behavior towards food safety in Portuguese school canteens. The theoretical framework for this
study was the KAP model, which states that provision of information will lead to desired
behavioral changes. An interviewer- administered questionnaire that collected data on socio-
demographic characteristics, knowledge of food hygiene, self-reported behaviors towards safe
food handling, and personal health and hygiene was administered to 124 food handlers from 32
school canteens.

Santos et al. revealed that food handlers’ knowledge was high regarding personal hygiene and
cross contamination, but little was known about pathogens and the risk of contamination
between raw and cooked foods. The weakest area of knowledge was temperature control.
Trained food handlers had a significantly higher knowledge score than the untrained (p <
0.000). Although the behavior score was high, workload had a significant impact on behavior
(X2 = 13.9, p < 0.001) in that, at peak periods, food handlers did not practice desired behaviors.
Education levels significantly impacted scores for hygiene behavior (X2 = 10.7, p < 0.01).
Generally, there was a great variation in the level of knowledge of food handlers, and Santos et
al. concluded that this could be improved through training and motivation. There was no
relationship between knowledge and self-reported behavior (r = 0.09, p > 0.05). The use of a
face-to-face interview may have led to participants reporting intended or correct behavior
instead of actual behavior or practice. Further study is needed to assess whether education and
knowledge influenced changes in work practice.

12
In a cross-sectional survey, Hertzman and Barrash (2007) investigated food safety knowledge
and practices of catering employees in the southwestern U.S. city of Las

Vegas. This analysis was done using a 20-question food safety survey and a checklist to guide
the observation of food handlers’ activities. Hertzman and Barrash targeted social caterers and
restaurants, hotels, and casinos that offered catering services in Las Vegas. A convenience
snowball sample of 23 catering events was selected, and 81 surveys were completed. Over 30%
of employees scored below 70% of the survey, with limited knowledge on adequate cooking
temperature, proper equipment use, proper holding temperature, and personal hygiene.
Employees of independent operations scored significantly higher than those of corporate
operations (p = 0.009 at the 0.005 alpha level). Most observed violations were with respect to
personal hygiene (specifically lack of proper hand washing), followed by holding of prepared
food at the correct temperature. The actions of employees were not in keeping with food
safety knowledge expressed on the survey, as they failed to follow the proper food handling
procedures they identified. Food safety knowledge may not automatically translate into safe
practices. One limitation of the study was the inability to generalize the findings due to the non
random sampling methodology resulting from a lack of cooperation from caterers. Also, the
presence of observers may have introduced bias into the study as food workers may endeavor
to perform according to expectations (the Hawthorne effect). Hertzman and Barrash did not
establish prior knowledge and were unable to determine if prior knowledge or training had an
influence on knowledge on practice. Also the discrepancy between knowledge and practice
needs to be investigated.

Gomes-Naves et al. (2007) used a cross-sectional quantitative study to compare food safety
knowledge and practices in three food handling groups in Portugal: food handlers from small
independent food businesses, first-year university students, and third- and fourth-year students
at the University of Porto who were enrolled in courses with a public health background. Data
were collected using self-administered questionnaires that covered key food safety knowledge
and practice issues. The 79 food handlers had a week to respond, while 152 students
completed their instruments during one class session. Gomes-Naves et al. found that the

13
knowledge level of food handlers was significantly lower than the two groups of students, with
a mean score of 55% (food handlers), 66% (first-year students) and a 77% (third- and fourth-
year students; p < 0.0001). With respect to practice, the food handlers scored significantly
higher than the students (p < 0.05). Item analysis revealed that food handlers had generally
poor knowledge on microbiological hazards and other key aspects of food safety required for
the protection of the public from food-borne illnesses. This may be due to the generally low
educational level of food handlers. Food hygiene training should be a legal requirement and
form part of a comprehensive food safety management program. The small sample size limited
the generalize ability of the findings. However, there is a need to improve training for not only
food handlers, but also public health professionals (those in veterinary and human medicine)
who can assist in the training and evaluation of food handlers in the future.

14
15
3. Materials and Method
3.1. Description of study area
The project work was conducted at ten different Restaurants in Dinajpur. The name of these
Restaurants is: Dilshad Hotel, Shafi Hotel, Lakkhitola Hotel, Bera Hotel, Rustom Hotel, Rolex Hotel &
Restaurant, Puffin Thai chinnese Restaurant, Iummy Thai Restaurant, Dream Food palace, Mertine
Chinnese Restaurant.

3.2. Selection of employee

Considering male and female workers, Fifteen (15) workers were randomly selected. Finally a total of
150 workers of both sexes from ten different Restaurants were selected in Dinajpur.

3.3. Working period

The research work was carried out during the months of August 2018 to January 2019 among different
restaurants in Dinajpur.

3.4. Working preparation

Before the data collection procedure, a number of training session were conducted to better
understand the objective of the work, to collect the data in best possible ways to maximize the quality
of the data and to reduce both inter and intra personnel variation.

3.5. Developing of the questionnaire

This cross-sectional study was conducted in a restaurants of Bangladesh. Overall, 150 workers are
employed in these plants. The safety knowledge and hygiene practice of food workers was assessed with
a structured questionnaire, which was organized in to the following four distinct parts: (1) Part 1:
Demographic characteristics; (2) Part 2: Employee work satisfaction; (3) part 3: knowledge about food

16
safety; (4) Part 4: food hygiene practices. The respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics (Part 1),
such as gender, age, level of education, working experience and training were collected during the
study. The age groups were classified according to 21-30 years old and 31 -40 years old and 41-50 years
old and above, have non-formal education, basic education, JSC, SSC,HSC. “experienced” (below 5 years,
5-10 years above 10 years).The questions regarding knowledge section (Part2) included 11 questions
with three possible answers, “yes”, “no” and “do not know”. These questions focused on issues
regarding personal hygiene, food hygiene, knowledge about food safety, food cleanliness and hygiene.
In Section 4, the good hygienic practices of food handlers were evaluated and were assessed through
self reporting on personal hygiene and related food handling procedures.

3.6. Sample Size

The study design was descriptive cross sectional. A sample size of 150 was calculated based on the
assumption of 8% expected margins of error and 92% confidence interval using the formulae for
calculating sample size for descriptive studies in population > 500

Referrence

The following formula, (Fisher's et aI., 1999) was used to determine the sample that the proportion of
adult population was approximately 36% as found in Country nutrition Paper Bangladesh, 2014 by FAO;

Where,

n= the desired sample size,

N= Estimated population, 500

Z=the standard normal deviate set at 1.87 which corresponds to 92% of confidence interval.

P (percentage of food handlers with acceptable food hygiene practice) = 40.4 %

q= (the percentage of food handlers without acceptable food hygiene practice) = 1-P

17
 q=1-0.404=0.596 d= Degree of accuracy desired set at 0.04.

Therefore,

500∗1.87∗1.87∗.404∗.596
n= = 172Study area
.04∗.04∗(500−1)+1.87∗1.87∗.404∗.596

3.7. Statistical Analysis

The statistical analyses of the data were performed by using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences) software version 20. Descriptive statistics such as frequency (%) for categorical and mean and
standard deviation (SD) for numerical data were used to sum up the data. p-value less than 0.404 was
considered statistically significant.

18
19
4. Result Discussion:

4.1. Demographic Characteristics of workers:

A total of 150 food workers were interviewed to assess the level of knowledge and practices on food
safety and hygiene. The variables have been grouped in order to give the overall information. Similarly,
findings have been presented in different forms that comprise frequency tables.

Table-1: Demographic Characteristics of workers

Parameter Frequency (n) Percentage (%)

Sex

Male 139 92.667

Female 11 7.333

Age

21-30 57 38

31-40 61 40.667

41-50 23 15.333

51+ 9 6

Marital

Single 30 20

Married 120 80

Education

Non Formal 40 26.667

Basic 92 61.333

JSC 15 10

SSC 2 1.333

20
 HSC 1 0.667

Experience

Below 5 years 108 72

5-10 years 36 24

10+ years 6 4

Employment Status

Full time 144 96

Part time 6 4

Training

Yes 18 12

No 132 88

The majorities (92.67%) were males and (7.33%) were females. 26.67% of respondents attained on non
formal education, basic education comprises 61.33% of respondents, 10%, 1.33% and 0.67% respondents
respectively attained on JSC, SSC and HSC. In general, regardless of the education level, there were more
male food workers working in restaurants than female in all the age groups. Besides 72% has working
experience below 5 years where 24 % has five to ten years and only 4% has more than ten years experience.
Most of the food workers (96%) have full time job on the contrary 4% were part time workers. But another
fact that only 12% attained training where more workers (88%) didn’t have any training experiences.

4.2. Food safety knowledge:

A vast majority (97.33%) had the idea on positive knowledge about proper washing of hands reduce the
risk of food contamination. Additionally, 83.7 per cent using gloves while handling food reduces the risk
of food contamination (98%). Whereas 56.66% per cent had positive knowledge about proper cleaning
of the instruments to reduce the risk of food contamination, but 40.66% avoid it and 2.67% had no idea
about it. Major respondents (50.67%) were agreed on the topic that eating and drinking at the work
place increase the risk of food contamination besides (36%) disagreed it. 34.67% had no idea about

21
Washing utensils with detergent leaves them free of contamination. Moreover majority had the
knowledge about change in color, odor or taste of foods during contamination. Vast respondents
(94.67%) agreed on Well-cooked foods are free of contamination. Major respondents (40.67%) had the
positive attitude towards cleaning products are closed, they can be stored with cans and jars of food
that are also closed. Additionally (56.67%) had no idea about the necessity to check the temperature of
refrigerators freezers periodically to reduce the risk of food contamination. They (61.33%) also agreed
on that the worker would be a source of food-borne outbreaks. Moreover, 85.33% of the respondents
answered correctly about abrasions or cuts on their hands should not touch foods without gloves. 82%
respondents answered hands should be washed after each serving.

22
Table-2: Food safety knowledge of restaurants food-worker in Dinajpur

Don’t know/
Questions Correct Incorrect
remember

Did you think that washing hands before work

reduces the risk of food contamination? What is
146 (97.33%) 0 (0%) 4 (2.67%)
the way to wash hands that reduces the risk of
food contamination?

Using gloves while handling food reduces the risk

of food contamination. How to reduce the risk of 147 (98%) 2 (1.33%) 1 (0.67%)
food contamination?

Does not proper cleaning and sanitization of

85 (56.66%) 61 (40.66%) 4 (2.67%)
utensils increase the risk of food contamination

Eating and drinking at the work place increase

76 (50.67%) 54 (36%) 20 (13.33%)
the risk of food contamination

Reheating cooked foods can contribute to food

93 (62%) 43 (28.67%) 14 (9.33%)
contamination.

Washing utensils with detergent leaves them free

4 (2.67%) 94 (62.67%) 52 (34.67%)
of contamination

The correct temperature for storing perishable

99 (66%) 2 (1.33%) 49 (32.67%)
foods is 5 °C

Hot, ready-to-eat food should be kept at a

82 (54.67%) 55 (36.67%) 13 (8.67%)
temperature of 65 °C.

Freezing kills all the bacteria that may cause

106 (70.67%) 5 (3.33%) 39 (26%)
food-borne illness

23
 Contaminated foods always have some change in
142 (94.67%) 6 (4%) 2 (1.33%)
color, odor or taste

The ideal place to store raw meat in the 118

26 (17.33%) 6 (4%)
refrigerator is on the bottom shelf (78.67%)

4.3. Knowledge about Personal Hygiene:

Table-3: Distribution of the workers by knowledge about Personal Hygiene practice

Questions Correct Incorrect

Working costumes should be changed every day. 64 (42.67%) 86 (57.33%)

It is unnecessary to shave for work regularly 92 (61.33%) 58 (38.67%)

Hands should be washed with warm water &

119 (79.33%) 31 (20.67%)
soap in a way to include wrists

Hands should be washed before starting to

150 (100%) 0 (0%)
prepare meals

Hands should be washed after touching earth covered and

150 (100%) 0 (0%)
packed products

There is no need to wash hands after touching face, ear,

150 (100%) 0 (0%)
and hair

Hands should be washed after contacting with upper

146 (97.33%) 4 (2.67%)
respiratory tract secretions

Most of the workers agreed on washing hands after touching earth covered and packed products. Almost all
workers agreed on washing before starting to prepare meals, hands after touching face, ear, and hair. Fewer
respondents (2.67%) disagreed about washing after contacting with upper respiratory tract secretions. 92 %
respondents out of 150 workers agreed that is unnecessary to shave for work regularly.

24
4.4. Knowledge about Food Hygiene

Table-3: Distribution of the workers by knowledge about Personal Hygiene practice

Questions Correct Incorrect

Do you know about hygiene? 134 (89.33%) 16 (10.67%)

Do you know the importance of hygiene in food section?

136 (90.67%) 14 (9.33%)

Does the Hotel/restaurant give you the information about

150 (100%) 0 (0%)
hygiene and its importance?

Do you wash your hand and before/after having food ? 150 (100%) 0 (0%)

Do you use soap senitizer during washing? 150 (100%) 0 (0%)

Do you cut your nails regularly? 150 (100%) 0 (0%)

Does the operator handle money while servicing food? 21 (14%) 129 (86%)

Does the operator blow air into polythene bag before use 0 (0%) 150 (100%)

Do you smoke or drink during working 0 (0%) 150 (100%)

Raw food and cooked foods can be stored together 6 (4%) 144 (96%)

Frozen food cannot be frozen again after being defrosted. 8 (5.33%) 142 (94.67%)

Vegetables should be first chopped and then washed. 148 (98.67%) 2 (1.33%)

Fresh vegetables and fruit should be well washed under

144 (96%) 6 (4%)
running water.

While buying vegetables and fruit, it should be paid attention

that they are not withered, soil- or mud-covered, rotten, and 79 (52.67%) 71 (47.33%)
damaged.

While buying meat, it is necessary that it should be branded. 148 (98.67%) 2 (1.33%)

Frozen foods are defrosted in the room temperature 45 (30%) 105 (70%)

Smashed canned food cannot be used 31 (20.67%) 119 (89.33%)

25
 Pre-cooling process of foods should be completed within 2 hr. 143 (95.33%) 7 (4.67%)

Raw food should be stored in lower shelves within cold

136 (90.67%) 14 (9.33%)
storage

The temperature of the refrigerator should

105 (70%) 45 (30%)
be between 0°C and 4°C

The minimum temperature of deep freezer

14 (9.33%) 136 (90.67%)
should be -18°C

The temperature of hot foods ready for

62 (41.33%) 88 (58.67%)
consumption should be more than 65°C.

90.67% had the knowledge about the importance of hygiene. Most interested fact that 100% agreed about
restaurant give you the information about hygiene and its importance, washing hands before/after having
food using soap sanitizer during washing, cutting nails regularly. 86% was disagreed on handling money while
servicing food. All respondents disagreed that they did not smoke or drink in the working place.

4.5. Knowledge on food cleanliness and hygiene:

All respondents were agreed that hands should be washed after coughing or sneezing. Only fewer
respondents (3.33%) were agreed just washing your hands under running water to remove bacteria before
touching food. 73.33% answered that not to place chicken, fish and raw meat at the same place
(fridge/freezer). Only 6% disagreed that Contamination occurs when the raw and ready to eat food are put
together in one place.

Table- 04 Knowledge on food cleanliness and hygiene:

Questions Correct Incorrect

Should always wash hands after coughing or sneezing 150 (100%) 0 (0%)

Is it enough just by washing your hands under running 5 (3.33%) 145 (96.67%)

26
water to remove bacteria before touching food?

Contamination occurs when the raw and ready to eat food

141 (94%) 9 (6%)
are put together in one place

Do not place chicken, fish and raw meat at the same place
110 (73.33%) 40 (26.67%)
(fridge/freezer)

To determine the safety of food, you should

150 (100%) 0 (0%)
taste/smell/check the expiry date before you eat

The kitchen sink drain should be cleaned every week 150 (150%) 0 (0%)

27
28
5. Conclusion:

In conclusion, this study suggests that even though the food safety knowledge, attitude and hygienic
practice level of the food workers was satisfactory, some of the hygiene aspects need to be emphasized.
Continuous education and training should strengthen food workers knowledge in areas which seem to
be lacking. Additionally, education and food safety training should be provided recurrently to the food
workers to reduce food-borne hazards. The information achieved from this study can be utilized to
formulate important messages for many educational programs. Therefore, proper food safety education
and hands on training for food workers should be given that can enhance good safety practices through
better understanding and positive attitude. At last, the information gained from this study can be utilized
to formulate essential safety measure to safeguard of the consumer from food borne diseases.

29
30
References

AARNISALO, K., TALLAVAARA, K. and WIRTANEN, G. 2006. The hygienic working

practices of maintenance personal and equipment hygiene in Finnish food industry. Food Control
17, 1001–1011.

MOSSEL, D.A.A. 1989. Food safety the need for public reassurance. Food
Sci. Technol. Today, 3, 2–10.

MOTARJEMI, Y. and KÄFERSTEIN, F. 1999. Food safety, hazard analysis and critical
control point and the increase in foodborne diseases: Aparadox. Food Control
10 (4–5), 325–333.

SONER, A. and OZGEN, I. 2002. International Hygiene Standards for Food-Beverage

Businesses. Health and Nutrition in the Tourism Sector; Problems and Solutions Symposium,
Baskent Üniversitesi, Alanya, Türkiye

DE WAAL, C.S. 2003. Safe food from a consumer perspective. Food Control 14, 75–79.

MOTARJEMI, Y. and KÄFERSTEIN, F. 1999. Food safety, hazard analysis and critical control
point and the increase in foodborne diseases: A paradox. Food Control 10(4–5), 325–333.

TOPAL, S. 1996. Gıda güvenlig˘i ve kalite yönetim sistemleri, TUBI˙TAKMarmara Aras¸tırma

Merkezi, Gebze, I˙stanbul

LUCCA, A. and TORRES, E.A.F.S. 2006. Street-food: The hygiene conditions of hot-dogs in
Sao Paulo, Brazil. Food Control 17(4), 312–316

MICHAELS, B., KELLER, C., BLEVINS, M., PAOLI, G., RUTHMAN, T., TODD, B. and
GRIFFITH, C.J. 2004. Prevention of food worker transmission of foodborne pathogens: Risk
assessment and evaluation of effective hygiene intervention strategies. Food Service Technol.
4(1), 31–49.

31
HOWES, M., MC EWAN, S., GRIFFITHS, M. and HARRIS, L. 1996. Food handler
certification by home study: Measuring changes in knowledge and behaviour. Dairy Food
Environ. Sanit. 16(11), 737–744.

SNEED, J., STROHBEHN, C., GI˙LMORE, S.A. and MENDONCA, A. 2004. Microbiological
evaluation of foodservice contact surfaces in Iowa assisted living facilities. J. Am. Diet. Assoc.
104, 1722–1724

BAS, M., ERSUN, A.S. and KIVANÇ, G. 2006. The evaluation of food hygiene knowledge,
attitudes, and practices of food handlers’ in food businesses in Turkey. Food Control 17(4), 317–
322.

AARNISALO, K., TALLAVAARA, K. and WIRTANEN, G. 2006. The hygienic working

practices of maintenance personal and equipment hygiene in Finnish food industry. Food Control
17, 1001–1011.

ACIKEL, C.H., OGUR, R., YAREN, H., GOCGELDI, E., UCAR, M. and KIR, T. 2008. The
hygiene training of food handlers at a teaching hospital. Food Control 19, 186–190.

AKSOYDAN, E.M. and SOKMEN, A. 2002. HACCP Kavramı, Planlaması ve Uygulaması:

Ankara’daki Bes¸ Yıldızlı Konaklama I˙s¸letmelerinin Servis Departmanlarına Yönelik Ampirik
Bir Aras¸tırma. Turizm

Akademik Dergisi 1, 6–7. ASKARIAN, M., KABIR, G., AMINBAIG, M., MEMISH, Z.A. and
JAFARI, P. 2004. Knowledge, attitudes and practices of food service staff regarding food
hygiene in Shiraz, Iran. Infect. Control. Hosp. Epidemiol. 25(1), 16–20.

BADRIE, N., GOBIN, A., DOOKERAN, S. and DUNCAN, R. 2006. Consumer awareness and
perception to food safety hazard in Trinidad, West Indies. Food Control 17, 370–377.

BAS, M. and MERDOL, T.K. 2002. Ankara piyasasında tüketime sunulan hamburgerlerde
Escherichia 0157:H7 kontaminasyonu üzerine bir aras¸tırma. Beslenme ve Diyet Dergisi 31(2),
19–29. BAS, M.,

ERSUN, A.S. and KIVANÇ, G. 2006. The evaluation of food hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and
practices of food handlers’ in food businesses in Turkey. Food Control 17(4), 317–322.

32
BOLTON, D.J., MEALLY, A., BLAIR, I.S., MCDOWELL, D.A. and COWAN, C. 2008. Food
safety knowledge of head chefs and catering managers Ireland. Food Control 19, 291–300.

BREWER, M. and ROJAS, M. 2008. Consumer attitudes toward issues in food safety. J. Food
Safety 28, 1–22.

BUYRUK, L. and SAHIN, N. 2002. Otel yiyecek içecek departmanında çalıs¸an is¸görenlerin
hijyen algılamaları konusunda bir aras¸tırma. Turizmde sag˘lık ve beslenme; sorunlar ve
çözümler sempozyumu bildiriler kitabı, Alanya, pp.77–90.

CAKIROGLU, F.P. and UCAR, A. 2008. Employees’ perception of hygiene in the catering
industry in Ankara (Turkey). Food Control 19, 9–15.

CLAYTON, D.A., GRIFFITH, C.J., PRICE, P. and PETERS, A.C. 2002. Food handlers beliefs
and self-reported practices. Int. J. Environ. Health Res. 12, 25–39.

DAG, A. 1996. Toplu Beslenme Servisinde Çalıs¸an Personel için Gelis¸tirilen Hijyen Eg˘itim
Programının Bilgi, Tutum ve Davranıs¸lara Etkisi. HYGIENE PERCEPTION 429
Yayınlanmamıs¸ Yüksek Lisans Tezi, Hacettepe Üniversitesi Sag˘lık Bilimleri Enstitüsü,
Ankara.

DE WAAL, C.S. 2003. Safe food from a consumer perspective. Food Control 14, 75–79.

DENIZ, Y. 2007. Otel is¸letmelerinde yiyecek içecek hizmetlerinde kalite kontrolü ve maliyet
kontrolü. Turizm Pusulası http://www.turizmpusulasi. com/readarticle.php?art (accessed January
12, 2008).

DURLU-OZKAYA, F.D., SANLI˙ER, N. and COMERT, M. 2008. Otellerde Yiyecek I˙çecek

Hizmetlerinde Çalıs¸an Personelin Gıda Güvenlig˘i Bilgi Düzeyi, Türkiye 10.Gıda Kongresi,
Erzurum, Türkiye, 21–23 Mayıs 2008, 10.Gıda Kongresi Bildiriler Kitabı, pp.1039–1042.

GOMES-NEVES, E., ARAUJO, A.C., RAMOS, E. and CARDOSO, C.S. 2007. Food handling:
Comparative analysis of general knowledge and practice in three relevant groups in Portugal.
Food Control 18, 707–712.

33
HOWES, M., MC EWAN, S., GRIFFITHS, M. and HARRIS, L. 1996. Food handler
certification by home study: Measuring changes in knowledge and behaviour. Dairy Food
Environ. Sanit. 16(11), 737–744.

LUCCA, A. and TORRES, E.A.F.S. 2006. Street-food: The hygiene conditions of hot-dogs in
Sao Paulo, Brazil. Food Control 17(4), 312–316.

MEDEIROS, L.C., KENDALL, P. and HILLERS, V. 2001. Identification and classification of

consumer food-handling behaviors for food safety education. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1001(11),
1326–1332.

MICHAELS, B., KELLER, C., BLEVINS, M., PAOLI, G., RUTHMAN, T., TODD, B. and
GRIFFITH, C.J. 2004. Prevention of food worker transmission of foodborne pathogens: Risk
assessment and evaluation of effective hygiene intervention strategies. Food Service Technol.
4(1), 31–49.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH 2006. Basic Health Statistics of Turkey 2004, p. 142, Ministry of
Health Publications, Ankara. MOSSEL, D.A.A. 1989. Food safety the need for public
reassurance. Food Sci. Technol. Today, 3, 2–10.

MOTARJEMI, Y. and KÄFERSTEIN, F. 1999. Food safety, hazard analysis and critical control
point and the increase in foodborne diseases: A paradox. Food Control 10(4–5), 325–333.

NOTERMANS, S., ZWIETERING, M.H. and MEAD, G.C. 1994. The HACCP concept:
Identifications of potentially hazardous micro organisms. Food Microbiol. 11, 203–214.

SANLIER, N. 2009. The knowledge and practice of food safety by young and adult consumers.
Food Control 20(6), 538–542.

SARGIN, Y. and CAKIROGLU, F.P. 2006. Ankara’da 4 ve 5 Yıldızlı Otellerde Çalıs¸an

Yiyecek- I˙çecek Personelinin Besin Hijyeni Bilgi Düzeylerinin I ˙ncelenmesi, I. Uluslararası Ev
Ekonomisi Kongresi, Sürdürülebilir Gelis¸me ve Yas¸am Kalitesi, 22–24 Mart, pp. 203–213. 430
N.

SANLIER, M. CÖMERT and F. DURLU-ÖZKAYA SEAMANA, P. and EVESB, A. 2006. The

management of food safety – the role of food hygiene training in the UK service sector.

34
Hospitality Manage. 25, 278–296. SMITH, R. 1994. Food hygiene training: The chance to create
a coherent training policy. Br. Food J. 96(7), 41–45.

SNEED, J., STROHBEHN, C., GI˙LMORE, S.A. and MENDONCA, A. 2004. Microbiological
evaluation of foodservice contact surfaces in Iowa assisted living facilities. J. Am. Diet. Assoc.
104, 1722–1724.

SONER, A. and OZGEN, I. 2002. International Hygiene Standards for Food-Beverage

Businesses. Health and Nutrition in the Tourism Sector; Problems and Solutions Symposium,
Baskent Üniversitesi, Alanya, Türkiye. TODD, E.C.D. 1989. Costs of acute bacterial food-borne
disease in Canada and the USA. Int. J. Food. Microbiol. 9, 313–326.

TOPAL, S. 1996. Gıda güvenlig˘i ve kalite yönetim sistemleri, TUBI˙TAKMarmara Aras¸tırma

Merkezi, Gebze, I˙stanbul. TUNAIL, N. 2000. Mikrobiyel enfeksiyonlar ve intoksikasyonlari:
gida mikrobiyolojisi ve uygulamalari, Sim Matbaacılık Ltd. S¸ti, Ankara.

WALKER, E. and JONES, N. 2002. An assessment of the value of documenting food safety in
small and less developed catering businesses. Food Control 13, 307–314. WALKER, E.,
PRITCHARD, C. and FORSYTHE, S. 2003. Food handlers’ hygiene knowledge in small food
businesses. Food Control 14, 339–343.

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION 2006. Globalization, Trade and Health, Glossary of

Terms. http://www.who.int/trade/glossary/story027/ en/index.html (accessed September 17,
2008)

G.M. Subba Rao, R.V. Sudershan, Pratima Rao ,M. Vishnu Vardhana Rao
(2007) Food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices of mothers—Findingsfrom
focus group studies in South India. Science direct 49:441–449
[2].
P. T. Akonor, M. A. Akonor (2013) Food Safety Knowledge: The Case of
Domestic Food Handlers in Accra. European Journal of Nutrition & Food
Safety 3(3): 99-111,
[3].
Fact Sheet N°23. Food safety and food borne illness, revised January

35
2002http://www.who.int/.

1. S Kamalam essentials in Community Health Nursing Practice. Jaypee Brothers, medical

publishers (p) ltd, New Delhi.
2. Murat B, Azmi SE, Gokhan K. The evaluation of food hygiene knowledge, attitude, and
practiceof food handlers’ in food businesses in Turkey. Science Direct [Online] 2005 jan
1 [Cited 2008 Sep 21];
3. Rahul Malhotra, PannaLal, Krishna S, Prakash, DagaM K, Jugal Kishore. Evaluation of a
Health education Intervention on Knowledge and Attitude of Food Handlers Working in
a Medical Collage in Delhi, India. Asia-Pacific. Journal of Public Health October 2008
;.20 (4): 277-6. Available from URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science.
4. C H Tang1 and U W Fong2. A Survey of Food Hygiene Knowledge and Attitude among
Chinese Food Handlers in Fong Song Tong District, available from tch@ssm.gov.mo.
2004; 16(2):120-4.
5. Kwon J, Wilson AN, Bednar C, Kennon L. Food safety knowledge and behaviors of
women, infant, and children (WIC) program participants in the United States. J Food Prot
available.
6. Mohan U, Mohan V Raj. A study of carrier state of typhi, intestinal parasites and
personal hygiene amongst food handlers in amritsar city. Ind J Comm Med [Serial online]
2006 [Cited 2008 Sep 21]; 31(2): 2004-06. Available from
URL:http://www.ncib.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed.
7. Abhay Bhausaheb Mudey, Naveeta Kesharwani, GargiAbhayMudey, Ramchandra C
Goyal, Ajay K DawaleVasant et.al. Health Status and Personal Hygiene Among Food
Handlers Working at Food Establishment Around a Rural Teaching Hospital in Wardha
District of Maharashtra, India.

36
37
 Questionnaire on Food Safety and Hygiene in different restaurants
of Dinajpur

SECTION 1 – Restaurants Details

Name of the owner ………………………………………………………………………..

Age:.….Sex:………Qualification…….…............….Native Place:……………………..

Married/Single: M ss S

Skilled/Unskilled/Permanent/Temporary/Contact/Casual:

Number of years vending…………………………………….

Educational Attainment……………………………………….

Whether Local/Migrant:………………………………………

SECTION 2: Employee Information

Religion Educational Age Weight Height
Qualification (kg) (cm)

38
SECTION 3: Demographic characteristics of restaurants food-workers
in Dinajpur

No Question Example Yes/Not

1 What is your gender? Female
Male
2 What is your age (years)? 21–30
31–40
41–50
51–60
3. Marital status Single
Married
Divorced
Widow/widower
4. What is the last grade of education/ school you No formal education
completed? Basic
JHS/JSS
SHS/SSS
Post-secondary/Vocational
Tertiary
5. How long have you been working in the restaurants? <5
5–10
11–20
21–30

6. Employment status Full-time

Part-time
7. Have you completed any course and training in food Yes
safety and hygiene? Please check one No

SECTION 4: Employees’ work satisfaction

No Question Example Yes/Not
1. If you could choose a profession, would you choose Yes
this same profession? No
Don’t know
2. When you have personal trouble, do you share with Yes
your colleagues? No
Don’t know
3. Is the work load adequate? Yes
No
Don’t know

39
4. Is the kitchen staff respected by other workers of the Yes
institution? No
Don’t know
5. Does the workplace provide all the necessary Yes
conditions to guaranteeing food safety? No
Don’t know

SECTION 5 – Food safety knowledge of institutional food-handlers in

Dinajpur

No. Question Example Correct/Incorrect

1. Washing hands before work reduces the risk of food Correct

contamination. Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember
2. Using gloves while handling food reduces the risk of food Correct
contamination Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember
3. Proper cleaning and sanitization of utensils increase the Correct
risk of food contamination Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember
4. Eating and drinking at the work place increase the risk of Correct
food contamination Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember
5. Reheating cooked foods can contribute to food Correct
contamination. Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember
6. Washing utensils with detergent leaves them free of Correct
contamination Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember
7. The correct temperature for storing perishable foods is 5 Correct
°C. Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember
8. Hot, ready-to-eat food should be kept at a temperature of Correct
65 °C. Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember
9. Freezing kills all the bacteria that may cause food-borne Correct
illness Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember

40
10. Contaminated foods always have some change in color, Correct
odor or taste. Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember

11. The ideal place to store raw meat in the refrigerator is on Correct
the bottom shelf Incorrect
Don’t
know/remember

SECTION 6 – Food safety attitudes of institutional food-handlers

Statement
No. Question Example Yes/No

1. Well-cooked foods are free of contamination Agree Disagree

2. When cleaning products are closed, they can be stored Agree Disagree
with cans and jars of food that are
also closed
3. It is necessary to check the temperature of Agree Disagree
refrigerators/ freezers periodically to reduce the risk
of food contamination.
4. Defrosted foods should not be refrozen Agree Disagree
5. The best way to thaw a chickens in a bowl of cold Agree Disagree
water.
6. Food workers can be a source of food-borne outbreaks Agree Disagree
7. Dish towels can be a source of food contamination Agree Disagree
8. Food handlers who have abrasions or cuts on their Agree Disagree
hands should not touch foods without gloves
9. Length of time raw foods are stored prior to preparation One day
Between 1 day
and 6 days
Between 1
week and 3
weeks
1 month and
above
10. The use of chemicals for food storage
11. Frequency of hand washing when serving food At each serving
Every 20-
30mins

41
 Every 1hr
12 When cooking utensils are usually washed Before
preparing food
After preparing
food
How cooking utensils are washed Soap and water
Water alone

Workers used apron when preparing and serving food

Practiced food hygiene

SECTION 7 – Knowledge About Food Hygiene

No. Question Example Yes/No
1. Do you know about hygiene?
2. Do you know the importance of hygiene in food section?

3. Does the Hotel/restaurant give you the information about hygiene

and its importance?

4. Do you wash your hand and before/after having food? Always

Frequently
Sometime
Never
5. Do you use soap sanitizer during washing?
6. Do you cut your nails regularly?

7. Does the operator handle money while servicing food?

8. Does the operator blow air into polythene bag before use
9. Do you smoke or drink during working

10. Raw food and cooked foods can be stored together (−).

11. Frozen food cannot be frozen again after being defrosted.

12. Vegetables should be first chopped and then washed (−).
13. Fresh vegetables and fruit should be well washed under
running water.
14. While buying vegetables and fruit, it should be paid attention
that they are not withered, soil- or mud-covered, rotten, and
damaged.

42
15. While buying meat, it is necessary that it should be branded.

16. Frozen foods are defrosted in the room temperature (−).

17. Smashed canned food cannot be used.
18. . Pre-cooling process of foods should be completed within 2 hr.
19. Raw food should be stored in lower shelves within cold
storage.
20. The temperature of the refrigerator should be between 0°C and
4°C
21. The minimum temperature of deep freezer should be −18°C

22. The temperature of hot foods ready for consumption should be

more than 65°C.

SECTION 8 – Knowledge about Personal Hygiene

No. Question Example Yes/

No
1. Working costumes should be changed every day.
2. It is unnecessary to shave for work regularly (−).
Hands should be washed with warm water + soap in a way to
3. include wrists
4. Hands should be washed before starting to
prepare meals.
5. Hands should be washed after touching earth covered and packed
products.
6. There is no need to wash hands after touching face, ear, and hair
(−).
7. Hands should be washed after contacting with upper respiratory
tract secretions.

Section 9: Responses to “knowledge on food cleanliness and hygiene”.

No. Question Example Yes/No

1. Should always wash hands after coughing or sneezing

2. Is it enough just by washing your hands under running water to

remove bacteria before touching food?

43
3. Contamination occurs when the raw and ready to eat food are
put together in one place

4. Do not place chicken, fish and raw meat at the same place
(fridge/freezer)
5. To determine the safety of food, you should taste/smell/check
the expiry date before you eat
6. The kitchen sink drain should be cleaned every week

Thank you for giving your time

……………………………………………..
Signature

44