Food Safety and Hygiene Practices of Kitchen Staff of Boarding Senior High Schools in Amenfi West Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

Food safety and hygiene practices have emerged as an important global issue with international trade and public health implications. Over the years, there have been a lot of reports on several degrees of food poisoning outbreaks in Senior High Boarding institutions in Ghana. Based on this, the study aimed to assess the food safety and hygiene practices of kitchen staff of boarding Senior High Schools in Amenfi West Municipality. The objectives of the study are to; determine the perception of kitchen staff on food safety and hygiene practices, investigate food safety and hygiene practices of kitchen staff, and ascertain whether food safety and hygiene practices of kitchen staff differ concerning their demographic characteristics. A survey research design was employed. A purposive sampling technique was used in sampling 64 kitchen staff from the boarding Senior High Schools in Amenfi West Municipality. The study found that the kitchen staff have a high perception of food safety and hygiene. The study further revealed that the practices towards cooking/preparing food in the kitchen (3.10±1.249), personal hygiene (3.34±1.235), storage of food (3.21±1.269), and food handling (Separate/ Cross-contamination) (3.45±1.213) were good. The study found a statistically significant difference between food safety and hygiene practices and the educational level of kitchen staff. The study recommends regular refresher courses for kitchen staff to ensure updated food safety practices.