Food Safety Behaviours among Food Handlers in Different Food Service Establishments in Montenegro

Food Safety Behaviours among Food Handlers in Different Food Service Establishments in Montenegro

Foodborne diseases in food facilities are a major public health problem, due mostly to the limited surveillance and educational level of food-handling workers. This study was conducted in 220 food service locations in Montenegro. Participants’ behaviour was assessed by a survey using the specificall...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 20; no. 2; p. 997
Main Authors: Labović, Snežana Barjaktarović, Joksimović, Ivana, Galić, Igor, Knežević, Miro, Mimović, Marijana
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 05-01-2023
MDPI
Subjects:
Bakeries
Bars
Behavior
Catering
Education
Food
Food analysis
Food contamination
Food handling
Food Handling - methods
Food Safety
Food service
Foodborne diseases
Foodborne Diseases - epidemiology
Handlers
Hands
Humans
Hygiene
Laboratories
Microbiological analysis
Montenegro
Pastries
Personal hygiene
Public health
Questionnaires
Restaurants
Safety training
Statistical analysis
Washing
Montenegro
food safety
food handlers
training
food establishments
hygiene
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Summary:Foodborne diseases in food facilities are a major public health problem, due mostly to the limited surveillance and educational level of food-handling workers. This study was conducted in 220 food service locations in Montenegro. Participants’ behaviour was assessed by a survey using the specifically designed structured questionnaire, administered before and after the training. To determine the effect of the training on the performance of food handlers, a microbiological analysis of food contact surfaces and food handlers’ hands was also performed. The behaviour of food handlers, viewed as a whole, is unacceptable. There was a statistically significant difference (<0.05) among participants who completed catering school compared with those who did not, regarding hand washing. The type of facility in which participants worked (restaurant, bakery, or pastry shop) revealed statistically significant differences (<0.05) in relation to hand washing, that is, restaurant employees had better habits than those from bakeries and pastry shops. Before the training, participants showed acceptable behaviour regarding hand hygiene, but it was much better after the training. Results of microbiological analyses of food contact surfaces and food handlers’ hands indicated better results after the education, especially with regard to hand swabs. The results of this study indicate the importance of education to improve food handling practices among food handlers, which might also decrease the possibilities for contamination of food.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph20020997