Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

 
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 
The research sites did not have a formal structured food safety training program. There were no manuals 
available for reference. Inspite of this, the food handlers were capable of learning. They learned about food safety 
on the job when they were oriented as new employees and by observing their supervisors and other senior staff. But 
there was apprehension expressed by their supervisors that in the absence of constant reminders, the food handlers 
tended to be lax in their practices. 
 
The food handlers acquired food safety information either in school, from previous work experience or on 
the job. Senior staff who had worked in other establishments with strict food safety standards passed on their 
knowledge and experience to the newly hired food handlers. These senior employees were instrumental in 
promoting proper food handling, especially in the small and medium scale food service operations. 
Food handlers defined the meaning of food safety as ‘cleanliness’ and were aware of prescribed food safety 
practices, although they did not necessarily label them as the WHO Golden Rules. Some of them did not understand 
the rationale behind some rules. They were influenced by some beliefs, such as not washing their hands when they 
were tired. 
Owners/managers/supervisors identified three WHO Golden Rules that they had difficulty implementing:
‘avoid contact between raw foods and cooked foods’; ‘wash hands frequently’; and ‘protect food from insects, pests 
and other rodents’. On the contrary, their subordinates believed that the WHO Golden Rules were easily complied 
with in the work place, except for ‘cook food thoroughly’ and ‘protect food from insects’. For the rule ‘cook food 
thoroughly’, some of them claimed that they followed customers’ preference for medium-rare steaks. For the rule 
‘protect food from insects, rodents and other animals’, many of them shared that this was difficult to implement 
because of insects and pests coming from neighboring establishments in the same building. The previous experience 
of the owners/managers/supervisors and their exposure to high standards of food safety in their previous work could 
account for their greater expectations and admission that three of the golden rules were difficult to implement. 
Factors that contributed to adherence to food safety practices in the work place were: 
1.
interpersonal communication - behavior modeling by senior staff; constant reminders about the importance 
of safe food handling practices and the potential dangers of noncompliance with advocated practices 
2.
presence of an authority figure - the constant presence of the supervisor in the work place; the respect 
accorded the supervisor due to his/her previous experience in well-known establishments; the power vested 
in the supervisor to reprimand or even dismiss food handlers for noncompliance with safe food handling 
practices 
3.
education and training - personal hygiene practices learned at home and in school; formal tertiary level 
education in specialized programs such as hotel and restaurant management that include a subject on food 
safety in the curriculum 
4.
work place conditions - management provisions for soap, running water and adequate equipment and 
supplies that facilitate implementation of safe food handling; the size of the work place

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