Evaluating food safety training impact on food handlers in the food service industry

Abstract

Sixty eight personnel in the food service in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, with varied educational and job experiences were given training on basic food hygiene. Personnel were divided into 4 groups and each group given 8 hours full day training. Topics for training were broadly on 'Food Hygiene', 'Personal Hygiene', 'An Introduction to National and International Food Legislation and how it affects the food handler', and 'Fitness at work based on International Food Standards'. Most participants had an average awareness in food hygiene; this included an appreciation of what could be considered food hazards, whether food hazards are preventable, those in charge of ensuring food safety, and why food handlers need to keep their food safe for their customers. The standard examination consisted of questions like differences between 'use by' and 'best before' dates, the temperature range considered as the danger zone, the appropriate storage temperatures for storing long and short shelf-life products in the freezer, chilling temperatures and how to handle high risk products.