Assessing food hygiene knowledge, attitudes and practices of students and microbial quality of some selected canteen food a study of Gambaga College of Education in East Mamprusi Municipality of North-East

Abstract

The study assessed food hygiene knowledge, attitudes and practices of students on microbial quality of some selected canteen food, a study of Gambaga College of Education in east Mamprusi Municipality of North-east Region. The study used a cross sectional descriptive design to assess food hygiene knowledge, attitudes and practices of students on microbial quality of some selected canteen food. Data was collected using proportionate convenience sampling technique to select respondents. Primary data was collected by the use of structured questionnaire. The study established that: the presence of potential microbial agents which could cause serious gastrointestinal infection. These isolated microorganisms included salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and fecal coliforms. And this is attributable to the common diseases like: diarrhoea, typhoid, malaria and dysentery. Time and money is wasted in treating these diseases and that affect their studies. Respondents 113(71.5%) strongly agreed that food poisoning is cause by pathogens. With this knowledge they were extremely cautious with in food handling. Most 90(57.0%) strongly dissatisfied with resources available in the school canteen. They claimed that the few available resources like the refrigerator, cooking and eating utensils are absolute. Respondents agreed that it was important to wash hands right after unhygienic practices and this should among both the food vendors and the eaters. The probit regression analysis shows that; knowledge on presence of pathogens in food, kitchen environment, nature of storage facilities in the school canteen, caution of their health statuses and source of vegetables and fruits significantly influence the dependent variable (food hygiene knowledge, attitudes and safety practices). Education should be done in collaboration with Ministry of Education in conjunction with Gambaga Municipal Assembly to regularly inspect schools to test quality of foods in the school canteen and common markets in and around school environment.