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Vol.3 , No. 3, Publication Date: May 31, 2018, Page: 67-72
 version 20.0. The results showed that 150(21.3%) of the respondents undergone training on how to prepare food for human consumption and 179(32.5%) were aware of the 5 keys principles to safeguard food such as keeping clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures. Majority 298(54.2%) of the food handlers had 6-10 years experience of food hygiene practices and it proved a statistical insignificant (<i>p</i> > 0.05) between food preparation and years of experience. The highest percentage (94.9%) do wear clean apron and 171(31.1%) cut their fingernails and keep clean. Twenty percent (20%) agreed it is necessary to go for food medical examination. In conclusion, food handlers had a moderate knowledge of food hygiene practices because of educational influencein relation to the 5 keys principles. Therefore, food handlers must be inspected by environmental health officers to ensure human body or food premises do not contaminate food for human consumption.&picture=http://www.aascit.org/aascit/decorators/img/journal/829.jpg)
| [1] | Amadi Chinasa Orie Agwu, Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. |
| [2] | Udo Edet Akpan, Environmental Health Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Abia State University Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria. |
| [3] | Udo-Inyang Florence Obiageli, Department of Public Health, Imo State College of Nursing Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria. |
| [4] | Iro Okechukwu Kalu, Environmental Health Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Abia State University Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria. |
| [5] | Amadi Agwu Nkwa, Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. |
| [6] | Ede Alison Okorie, Environmental Health Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Abia State University Uturu, Abia State, Nigeria. |
| [7] | Okereke Christopher Chike Anunonwu, Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. |
| [8] | Obasi Kalu Ojo, Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Nnamadi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria. |
| [9] | Iwuoha Greg, Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. |
This study was to determine the food hygiene practices among food handlers in Abia State, South East Nigeria. The study employed a cross sectional research design. A walk-through inspection and food hygiene checklist were used and vetted by Federal Ministry of Environment for its relevance to the studied objective. Analysis of data used was Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0. The results showed that 150(21.3%) of the respondents undergone training on how to prepare food for human consumption and 179(32.5%) were aware of the 5 keys principles to safeguard food such as keeping clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures. Majority 298(54.2%) of the food handlers had 6-10 years experience of food hygiene practices and it proved a statistical insignificant (p > 0.05) between food preparation and years of experience. The highest percentage (94.9%) do wear clean apron and 171(31.1%) cut their fingernails and keep clean. Twenty percent (20%) agreed it is necessary to go for food medical examination. In conclusion, food handlers had a moderate knowledge of food hygiene practices because of educational influencein relation to the 5 keys principles. Therefore, food handlers must be inspected by environmental health officers to ensure human body or food premises do not contaminate food for human consumption.
Keywords
Food, Hygiene, Pathogen, Food-Borne Infections and Abia State
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