Food hygiene practices is a subject of wide scope and it is a broad term used to describe the preservation and preparation of foods in a manner that ensures the food is safe for human consumption (Malcolm, 2015). Food hygiene deals with the prevention of contamination of food stuffs at all stages of production, collection, transportation, storage, preparation, sale and consumption (WHO, 2011). Food hygiene practices have been documented to prevent several food-borne diseases when practised. It is broadly acclaimed that deliberate or accidental contamination of food due to inappropriate handling of food might endanger the lives of consumers (Developing and Implementing Food Safety Mechanisms, 2019).
Food vendors are the people who are employed directly in the production and preparation of foodstuffs and are integral to reducing food safety risks (De Sousa, 2018). Lack of personal hygiene among food vendors is one of the most commonly reported practices that contribute to foodborne illness (Taulo Wetlesen, Abrahamsen, Narvhus & Mkakosya., 2019).
The role of the food handlers especially the food vendors in effectively reducing the risk of food borne diseases is critically important as they are in direct contact with the consumers and also, they are the least challenging in terms of implementing food safety control measures. So assessing the practices of food vendors will enable the development of coordinated, effective, integrated and preventive strategies in line with the WHO “Five Keys to Safer Food” with the aim of reducing the risk of contamination as they buy, prepare, store and serve food to the consumers. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the practice of food hygiene among food vendors in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.
Purposes of the Study
The purpose of this study was to investigate the food hygiene practices among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State.
Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:
1. What are the food hygiene practices before food preparation among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia
State?
2. What are the food hygiene practices during food preparation among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia
State?
3. What are the food hygiene practices during food serving among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia State?
4. Does the food hygiene practices among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia State differ by level of
education?
Hypothesis
The following null hypothesis were formulated for the study:
1. There is no significant difference in the food hygiene practices among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia
State based on level of education.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study would be beneficial to the following: food vendors, Local Government authorities, Ministry of Education, government, students, government, public and other researchers.
CHAPTER THREE Research Methods
Research Design
Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study.
Area of the Study
This study was carried out in Bende Local Government of Abia State.
Population of the Study
The entire population of food vendors in the Council is three hundred and fifty-six (356) food vendors/handlers
Sample and Sampling Technique
The sample size were 142 food vendors in Bende LGA.
Instrument for Data Collection
The instrument for data collection was structured questionnaire.
Validation of instrument
The structured questionnaire were validated by three lecturers in the Department of Health Education.
Reliability of instrument
The researcher adopted a test re-test method of reliability to assess the reliability of the validated and corrected version of the questionnaire for the study.
Food vendors are the people who are employed directly in the production and preparation of foodstuffs and are integral to reducing food safety risks (De Sousa, 2018). Lack of personal hygiene among food vendors is one of the most commonly reported practices that contribute to foodborne illness (Taulo Wetlesen, Abrahamsen, Narvhus & Mkakosya., 2019).
The role of the food handlers especially the food vendors in effectively reducing the risk of food borne diseases is critically important as they are in direct contact with the consumers and also, they are the least challenging in terms of implementing food safety control measures. So assessing the practices of food vendors will enable the development of coordinated, effective, integrated and preventive strategies in line with the WHO “Five Keys to Safer Food” with the aim of reducing the risk of contamination as they buy, prepare, store and serve food to the consumers. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the practice of food hygiene among food vendors in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.
Purposes of the Study
The purpose of this study was to investigate the food hygiene practices among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State.
Research Questions
The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:
1. What are the food hygiene practices before food preparation among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia
State?
2. What are the food hygiene practices during food preparation among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia
State?
3. What are the food hygiene practices during food serving among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia State?
4. Does the food hygiene practices among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia State differ by level of
education?
Hypothesis
The following null hypothesis were formulated for the study:
1. There is no significant difference in the food hygiene practices among food vendors in in Bende LGA of Abia
State based on level of education.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study would be beneficial to the following: food vendors, Local Government authorities, Ministry of Education, government, students, government, public and other researchers.
CHAPTER THREE Research Methods
Research Design
Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study.
Area of the Study
This study was carried out in Bende Local Government of Abia State.
Population of the Study
The entire population of food vendors in the Council is three hundred and fifty-six (356) food vendors/handlers
Sample and Sampling Technique
The sample size were 142 food vendors in Bende LGA.
Instrument for Data Collection
The instrument for data collection was structured questionnaire.
Validation of instrument
The structured questionnaire were validated by three lecturers in the Department of Health Education.
Reliability of instrument
The researcher adopted a test re-test method of reliability to assess the reliability of the validated and corrected version of the questionnaire for the study.
Method of Data Collection
The questionnaire were administered to the one hundred and forty-two (142) food vendors on face to face basis.
Method of Data Analysis
Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages to answer research questions while inferential statistics of Chi-square was used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance with appropriate degree of freedom (df).
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Presentation and Analysis
Research Question One
What are the food hygiene practices before food preparation among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State? From the table, more than half of the respondents (80.8%) engaged in food hygiene practices before food preparation.
Research Question Two
What are the food hygiene practices during food preparation among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State? From the table, more than half of the respondents (72.6%) engaged in food hygiene practices during food preparation
Research Question Three
What are the food hygiene practices during food serving among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State?
From the table, more than half of the respondents (88.9%) engaged in food hygiene practices during food
serving.
Research Question Four
Does the food hygiene practices among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State differ by level of education?
From the table, respondents with tertiary education (96.9%) adhered to hygiene practices than other respondents with secondary education (87.7%) and primary education (76.8%) respectively
Hypothesis One
There is no significant difference in the food hygiene practices among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State based on level of education.
Table result implies that there is significant difference in food hygiene practices of food hygiene practices among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State based on level of education.
Recommendations
The following are the recommendations drawn from this study:
1) Managers of food business establishments should frequently supervise the hygienic condition under which
food handlers working for them prepare food. As well as constantly reward adherence to food hygiene
principles.
2) The local and national authorities should set up a committee, which will frequently inspect the food hygiene
practices of food handlers and vendors across the country.
3) A bill should be passed to the effect that only food handlers who have received adequate food hygiene training
and have been certified should be allowed to work as food vendors or food handlers.
Implications of the Study
1) Food is one of the physiological needs of an individual; hence it is critical and central to human existence and development. It therefore, becomes imperative that food procurement, preparation and service must be hygienically handled especially with regard to food vendors in both urban and rural.
2) The state Ministry of Education through the Ministry of Health is better placed to legislate on matters of food vending operations in Bende LGA. This becomes important to ensure that appropriate food hygiene practices are adhered to by vendors to save the innocent school children and members of the society from food diseases that may arise due to poor and unhygienic conditions on the part of the food sellers.
Suggestions for Further studies
Certain areas were not covered by this research, this provide some basis for further study of these areas are:
1) Knowledge of food hygiene practice among food vendors in secondary schools.
2) Practices of food hygiene among food vendors in tertiary institution
The questionnaire were administered to the one hundred and forty-two (142) food vendors on face to face basis.
Method of Data Analysis
Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentages to answer research questions while inferential statistics of Chi-square was used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance with appropriate degree of freedom (df).
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Presentation and Analysis
Research Question One
What are the food hygiene practices before food preparation among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State? From the table, more than half of the respondents (80.8%) engaged in food hygiene practices before food preparation.
Research Question Two
What are the food hygiene practices during food preparation among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State? From the table, more than half of the respondents (72.6%) engaged in food hygiene practices during food preparation
Research Question Three
What are the food hygiene practices during food serving among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State?
From the table, more than half of the respondents (88.9%) engaged in food hygiene practices during food
serving.
Research Question Four
Does the food hygiene practices among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State differ by level of education?
From the table, respondents with tertiary education (96.9%) adhered to hygiene practices than other respondents with secondary education (87.7%) and primary education (76.8%) respectively
Hypothesis One
There is no significant difference in the food hygiene practices among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State based on level of education.
Table result implies that there is significant difference in food hygiene practices of food hygiene practices among food vendors in Bende LGA of Abia State based on level of education.
Recommendations
The following are the recommendations drawn from this study:
1) Managers of food business establishments should frequently supervise the hygienic condition under which
food handlers working for them prepare food. As well as constantly reward adherence to food hygiene
principles.
2) The local and national authorities should set up a committee, which will frequently inspect the food hygiene
practices of food handlers and vendors across the country.
3) A bill should be passed to the effect that only food handlers who have received adequate food hygiene training
and have been certified should be allowed to work as food vendors or food handlers.
Implications of the Study
1) Food is one of the physiological needs of an individual; hence it is critical and central to human existence and development. It therefore, becomes imperative that food procurement, preparation and service must be hygienically handled especially with regard to food vendors in both urban and rural.
2) The state Ministry of Education through the Ministry of Health is better placed to legislate on matters of food vending operations in Bende LGA. This becomes important to ensure that appropriate food hygiene practices are adhered to by vendors to save the innocent school children and members of the society from food diseases that may arise due to poor and unhygienic conditions on the part of the food sellers.
Suggestions for Further studies
Certain areas were not covered by this research, this provide some basis for further study of these areas are:
1) Knowledge of food hygiene practice among food vendors in secondary schools.
2) Practices of food hygiene among food vendors in tertiary institution
