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In sub-Saharan Africa foodborne disease and foodborne disease outbreaks are frequently ascribed to poor personal hygiene of street food vendors and food handlers in food establishments. Evidence on the level of food hygiene practices and food safety measures among food handlers is required for proper planning and implementation of targeted interventions. In this study, we aimed to determine the level of food hygiene and safety measures among street food vendors and food handlers in food establishments of Dessie Town, Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was performed in Dessie town, Ethiopia from December 2013 to June 2014. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire and an observational checklist by a trained data collector among 116 food handlers from 116 food establishments and 19 food handlers from 19 street food vendors. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to identify the factors significantly associated with good level of food hygiene and safety practices. Almost three-quarter (72%; 84/116) of food handlers in food establishments had a good level of food hygiene and safety practices compared to nearly half (53%; 10/19) of street food vendors. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Average monthly income of >$21 US (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.2; 95%CI: 1.3-7.7), availability of service training (AOR = 6.7; 95%CI: 1.8-25), wearing a gown during food handling (AOR = 19; 95%CI: 6.8-51) and medical checkup (AOR = 5.2; 95%CI: 2.1-13) were significantly associated with good levels of food hygiene and safety measures. Comprehensive health education and promotion programs through continuous training on food hygiene and safety, with promotion of wearing gown during food handling, regular medical checkups of food handlers and programs that enhance the monthly income of food handlers are promising strategies for promoting proper food handling practices in Dessie town, Ethiopia.

\"Readers of this accessible book - now in a revised and updated new edition - are taken on a conceptual journey which passes every milestone and important feature of the HACCP landscape at a pace which is comfortable and productive. The information and ideas contained in the book will enable food industry managers and executives to take their new-found knowledge into the workplace for use in the development and implementation of HACCP systems appropriate for their products and manufacturing processes.The material is structured so that the reader can quickly assimilate the essentials of the topic. Clearly presented, this HACCP briefing includes checklists, bullet points, flow charts, schematic diagrams for quick reference, and at the start of each section the authors have provided useful key points summary boxes. HACCP: a Food Industry Briefing is an introductory-level text for readers who are unfamiliar with the subject either because they have never come across it or because they need to be reminded. The book will also make a valuable addition to material used in staff training and is an excellent core text for HACCP courses\"-- Provided by publisher.

Foods and food ingredients with low water activity (a(w)) have been implicated with increased frequency in recent years as vehicles for pathogens that have caused outbreaks of illnesses. Some of these foodborne pathogens can survive for several months, even years, in low-a(w) foods and in dry food processing and preparation environments. Foodborne pathogens in low-a(w) foods often exhibit an increased tolerance to heat and other treatments that are lethal to cells in high-a(w) environments. It is virtually impossible to eliminate these pathogens in many dry foods or dry food ingredients without impairing organoleptic quality. Control measures should therefore focus on preventing contamination, which is often a much greater challenge than designing efficient control measures for high-a(w) foods. The most efficient approaches to prevent contamination are based on hygienic design, zoning, and implementation of efficient cleaning and sanitation procedures in the food processing environment. Methodologies to improve the sensitivity and speed of assays to resuscitate desiccated cells of foodborne pathogens and to detect them when present in dry foods in very low numbers should be developed. The goal should be to advance our knowledge of the behavior of foodborne pathogens in low-a(w) foods and food ingredients, with the ultimate aim of developing and implementing interventions that will reduce foodborne illness associated with this food category. Presented here are some observations on survival and persistence of foodborne pathogens in low-a(w) foods, selected outbreaks of illnesses associated with consumption of these foods, and approaches to minimize safety risks.

Background Male food handlers in catering service establishments play an important role in food safety issues in China. However, their food-handling practices are not fully understood. This study aimed to assess the level of food-handling practices and identify factors associated with good practices among male food handlers in these establishments. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 648 male food handlers at randomly selected catering service locations in Wuhu City, Anhui Province, China. A self-compiled questionnaire was used to gather data on the food handlers' demographic characteristics and food-handling practices. Results The majority of interviewees (648) had good food-handling practices such as washing hands with soap before handling food (91.2%), checking for any deterioration of food (92.6%), infrequently using food additives beyond their scope and usage limit s (92.9%), and infrequently using recycled food as a raw material for new food production (93.8%). However, compliance rates for certain food-handling practices remain low. These include using a 3-compartment sink to wash animal-based, plant-based, and seafood-based foods separately (28.1%), storing perishable cooked foods at appropriate temperatures (38.3%), and using dedicated containers or tools for storing and processing different food materials (42.1%). Age 50 years and above was negatively correlated with good practices when compared to those aged 18 to 30. Average monthly incomes ranging from 3,000 to 4,999 (CNY) and 5,000 to 6,999 (CNY), work experience of 3 to 4 years and 9 years or more, as well as having received food safety training, were positively correlated with good practices, in contrast to incomes below 3,000 (CNY), work experience of less than 1 year, and the absence of food safety training, respectively. Conclusions Strengthen food safety training for male food handlers in catering service establishments, particularly targeting older and inexperienced ones, to enhance their food handling skills.

Objective The primary objective of this study was to assess factors associated with food safety practices among food handlers in Gondar city food and drinking establishments. The facility-based cross-sectional study was undertaken from March 3 to May 28, 2018, in Gondar city. Simple random sampling method was used to select both establishments and the food handlers. The data were collected through face-to-face interview using pre-tested Amharic version of the questionnaire. Data were entered and coded into Epi info version 7.0.0 and exported to SPSS version 22 for analysis. Results One hundred and eighty-eight (49.0%) had good food handling practice out of three hundred and eighty-four food handlers. Marital status (AOR: 0.36, 95% CI 0.05, 0.85), safety training (AOR: 4.01, 95% CI 2.71, 9.77), supervision by health professionals (AOR: 4.10, 95% CI 1.71, 9.77), routine medical checkup (AOR: 8.80, 95% CI 5.04, 15.36), and mean knowledge (AOR: 2.92, 95% CI 1.38, 4.12) were the factors significantly associated with food handling practices. The owners, managers and local health professionals should work on food safety practices improvement.

Over the last 10 to 15 years, increasing evidence suggests that persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in food processing plants for years or even decades is an important factor in the transmission of this foodborne pathogen and the root cause of a number of human listeriosis outbreaks. L. monocytogenes persistence in other food-associated environments (e.g., farms and retail establishments) may also contribute to food contamination and transmission of the pathogen to humans. Although L. monocytogenes persistence is typically identified through isolation of a specific molecular subtype from samples collected in a given environment over time, formal (statistical) criteria for identification of persistence are undefined. Environmental factors (e.g., facilities and equipment that are difficult to clean) have been identified as key contributors to persistence; however, the mechanisms are less well understood. Although some researchers have reported that persistent strains possess specific characteristics that may facilitate persistence (e.g., biofilm formation and better adaptation to stress conditions), other researchers have not found significant differences between persistent and nonpersistent strains in the phenotypic characteristics that might facilitate persistence. This review includes a discussion of our current knowledge concerning some key issues associated with the persistence of L. monocytogenes, with special focus on (i) persistence in food processing plants and other food-associated environments, (ii) persistence in the general environment, (iii) phenotypic and genetic characteristics of persistent strains, (iv) niches, and (v) public health and economic implications of persistence. Although the available data clearly indicate that L. monocytogenes persistence at various stages of the food chain contributes to contamination of finished products, continued efforts to quantitatively integrate data on L. monocytogenes persistence (e.g., meta-analysis or quantitative microbial risk assessment) will be needed to advance our understanding of persistence of this pathogen and its economic and public health impacts.

BackgroundFast food consumption is associated with biomarkers of ortho-phthalates exposures. However, the chemical content of fast food is unknown; certain ortho-phthalates (i.e., di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)) have been phased out and replaced with other plasticizers (e.g., dioctyl terephthalate (DEHT)).ObjectiveWe conducted a preliminary study to examine ortho-phthalate and replacement plasticizer concentrations in foods and food handling gloves from U.S. fast food restaurants.MethodsWe obtained hamburgers, fries, chicken nuggets, chicken burritos, cheese pizza (n = 64 food samples) and gloves (n = 3) from restaurants and analyzed them for 11 chemicals using gas chromatography mass spectrometry.ResultsWe found DEHT at the highest concentrations in both foods (n = 19; median = 2510 µg/kg; max = 12,400 µg/kg) and gloves (n = 3; range: 28–37% by weight). We detected DnBP and DEHP in 81% and 70% of food samples, respectively. Median DEHT concentrations were significantly higher in burritos than hamburgers (6000 µg/kg vs. 2200 µg/kg; p < 0.0001); DEHT was not detected in fries. Cheese pizza had the lowest levels of most chemicals.SignificanceTo our knowledge, these are the first measurements of DEHT in food. Our preliminary findings suggest that ortho-phthalates remain ubiquitous and replacement plasticizers may be abundant in fast food meals.Impact statementA selection of popular fast food items sampled in this study contain detectable levels of replacement plasticizers and concerning ortho-phthalates. In addition, food handling gloves contain replacement plasticizers, which may be a source of food contamination. These results, if confirmed, may inform individual and regulatory exposure reduction strategies.

Food hygiene has been a global headache due to its high impact on human health as well as its adverse effects on socioeconomic productivity. It is important to recognize the worth of food handlers' hygienic practices at food establishments to achieve community health. However, little is known about food handlers' food hygienic practice and its associated factors with the huge increment of food establishments in the study area. This study aimed to assess food hygiene practices and associated factors among food handlers working in food establishments in Jimma City, Southwest Ethiopia. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a simple random sampling technique to select a total of 316 food handlers by using a semi-structured questionnaire. After the interviews, hand swabs were collected and immediately transferred to the microbiology lab for the isolation of selected bacteria. The swab samples were cultured and identified using standard operating procedures. The data were entered into Epi Data (version 4.6.0) and exported to SPSS (version 29) for further analysis. Binary logistic regression was then used, with a p-value of 0.05 considered as an associated factor. The study results showed that only 28.4% of the food handlers had good food hygiene practices. Additionally, 45.1% of the 310 swabs collected from the hands of food handlers tested positive for bacterial contamination, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most predominantly isolated bacteria. Role as waiter (AOR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.99), the type of food establishment (bar and restaurant) (AOR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.88), being negative for isolated bacteria (AOR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.42, 6.13), having a positive attitude (AOR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.13, 4.73), and having good knowledge (AOR = 8.23, 95% CI: 4.03, 16.78) toward food hygiene were among associated factors of food hygiene practices. The majority of food handlers were found to have poor food hygiene practices, indicating low adherence to proper food handling practices. Emphasis should be placed on delivering periodic and effective health education to improve food handlers' hygiene practices.

Background In large scale cooking, food is handled by many individuals, thereby increasing the chances of food contamination due to improper handling. Deliberate or accidental contamination of food during large scale production might endanger the health of consumers, and have very expensive repercussions on a country. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among institutional food- handlers in Ghana. Methods The study was conducted using a descriptive, cross-sectional survey of 29 institutions by conducting face to face interview and administration of questionnaire to two hundred and thirty-five (235) institutional food-handlers. The questionnaire was peer-reviewed and pilot tested in three institutions in the Upper East Region of Ghana, before the final version was distributed to food-handlers. The questionnaire was structured into five distinctive parts to collect information on (i) demographic characteristics, (ii) employees’ work satisfaction, (iii) knowledge on food safety, (iv) attitudes towards food safety and (v) food hygiene practices. Results Majority of the food-handlers were between 41–50 years (39.1%). Female respondents were (76.6%). In our study, the food-handlers were knowledgeable about hygienic practices, cleaning and sanitation procedures. Almost all of the food-handlers were aware of the critical role of general sanitary practices in the work place, such as hand washing (98.7% correct answers), using gloves (77.9%), proper cleaning of the instruments/utensils (86.4%) and detergent use (72.8%). On disease transmission, the results indicates that 76.2% of the food- handlers did not know that Salmonella is a food borne pathogens and 70.6% did not know that hepatitis A is a food borne pathogen. However, 81.7% handlers agreed that typhoid fever is transmitted by food and 87.7% agreed that bloody diarrhea is transmitted by food. Logistic regression analysis testing four models showed statistically significant differences ( p  < 0.05), for models in which the explanatory variable was the level of education. Conclusions In generally, the institutional food-handlers have satisfactory knowledge in food safety but this does not translate into strict hygienic practices during processing and handling food products.