Hygiene Practices of Food Handlers and their Health Implications in Fast Food Resturants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

The trend in global food safety production, processing, distribution, and preparation is creating an increasing demand for food safety research in order to ensure a safer global food supply. The aim of this study is to assess the level of food hygiene practises of food handlers and their health implications in fast food restaurants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey to investigate the hygiene practises of food handlers. Also, an experimental method of analysis was used to determine the microbial quality of food served in restaurants. The data were also collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. A Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 20.0) was used to analyse the collected data. Descriptive statistics were used to display the results of the study, and the statistical association was ascertained with the chi-square test. From the results, 105 (66%) reported having good knowledge of food hygiene practises. 70 (36.8%) received training and had a certificate in cooking, while 120 (63.2%) did not. The respondents were assessed on their means of food preservation; 140 (73.7%) reported they stored food in refrigerators. Personal observation from the restaurants showed that adequate protection of food from flies and dust scored 40 (44%), while no protection scored 50 (56%). In conclusion, there is relatively low knowledge among respondents about the health implications of fast food restaurants. The majority of restaurant owners are not well or fully aware of the HACCP system in formal setups. The Ministry of Health, through the public health authorities in the urban centre, should adequately educate all restaurant owners, managers, staff, and other stakeholders on system implementation.