THE FOOD HYGIENE PRACTICES IN PREVENTING FOODHAZARDS AMONG FOOD HANDLERS IN UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN.

Abstract

Food hygiene encompasses several principles and procedures to ensure food safety. Poor food hygiene practices put everyone
at risk, and food handlers play a key role in ensuring food safety. Improper hand washing, allowing customers to have direct
contact with food, talking while handling food, fixing and polishing nails and using phones during food handling by the food
handlers are some factors contributing to food hazards and contamination, which can lead to food poisoning. This study
assessed food hygiene practices in preventing food hazards among food handlers in University of Ilorin. The objective was to
examine food hygiene practices, specifically hand washing and proper food handling. A descriptive cross-sectional research
design was used for this study. The participants were food handlers at the University of Ilorin. A total sampling technique was
employed to select all 117 food handlers working at 18 food vending establishments that sell cooked food on campus. A
researcher-designed questionnaire and structured observation checklist were used for data collection, both of which were
validated by three experts in the Department of Health Promotion and Environmental Health Education. A reliability coefficient
(r) of 0.76 was obtained through test-retest reliability using Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation (PPMC). Two research
questions were formulated and answered, while two hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The data collected
were analyzed using percentage, frequency and chi-square. The results of the findings revealed that there is significant practice
of proper hand washing, with the calculated chi-square value of 215.084 greater than the table value of 21.03 at 18 df. Also,
there is significant practice of proper food handling, with a calculated chi-square value of 215.588 greater than the table value
of 14.03 at 7 df. The study concluded that food handlers demonstrated proper hygiene practices in hand washing and food
handling. It recommended that food handlers undergo continuous training to reinforce good hygiene practices. Additionally,
the Campus Eatery Regulatory Board should ensure continuous monitoring to maintain compliance with proper food handling
practices among food vendors on campus.