From Knowledge to Practice: Barriers to Food Hygiene among Food Handlers at the University of Calabar, Nigeria 55 29
Keywords:
Food hygiene, food handlers, barriers, food safety, institutional food service, University of Calabar, hygiene practices, food vendorsAbstract
This study examined the barriers to food hygiene practices among food handlers at the University of Calabar, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was adopted. The study involved 236 food handlers drawn from 72 food establishments selected from 88 registered and functional food vendors within the University of Calabar. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing demographic items and ten potential barriers to food hygiene practices identified from the literature. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that financial constraints, inadequate equipment, inadequate supplies, time constraints, lack of enforcement of food hygiene rules and regulations, absence of established institutional standards, and lack of motivation were the major barriers to food hygiene practices. The Chi-square analysis produced a calculated value of 1,249.60, which was greater than the critical value of 40.113 at 27 degrees of freedom and a 0.05 level of significance, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. The study concluded that barriers to food hygiene practices among food handlers at the University of Calabar are predominantly structural, material, organisational, and regulatory rather than knowledge-based. Improving food hygiene therefore requires an enabling institutional environment characterised by adequate facilities and supplies, effective monitoring and enforcement, clear food hygiene standards, appropriate equipment, sufficient staffing and time, and mechanisms for motivating food handlers to comply with established hygiene requirements.Downloads
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