Evaluation of knowledge, attitudes and practices of staff in food catering towards safety and hygiene indices

Providing hygiene and safe food in catering has a critical role in protecting consumers from foodborne diseases. This survey aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of staff in food catering towards safety and hygiene indices. This cross-sectional study was performed by a self-administered questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 110 food staff in food catering at the Isfahan University of Medical Science and the University of Isfahan. The average score of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of respondents was 62.96±19.9, 70.8±9.8, and 88.6±5.3, respectively. According to the results, the level of the criteria was desirable. A positive correlation was observed between knowledge, attitudes, and practices, while no correlation was found between attitude and practice. Although the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food staff was desirable, weakness in some hygiene criteria such as controlling foodborne microorganisms and critical temperature, was found. It is recommended to have effective educational intervention in the implementation of safety and hygiene in food catering to prevent the occurring of foodborne diseases.