Browsing by Author "Apegyine, Sylvia Ayinpoka"

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    Food safety practices in food service establishments: a case study of the Greater Accra Region
    (APRIL, 2016) Apegyine, Sylvia Ayinpoka
    There is an upsurge in the number of Food Service Establishments (FSEs) in most cities in Ghana. FSEs generally provide ready to eat (RTE) foods for all categories of people. Food safety practices of these FSEscanhave far reaching implications for the health and wellbeing of most people since the FSEscan serve as media for transferring diseases. The perennial incidence of deaths due to Cholera in Ghana gives cause for concern. Yet there is limited systematicstudy conducted to test the effect of activities of food providers on food contamination and their level of knowledge on food safety issues in Ghana. This study assessedthe food safety practices ofninety-seven (97) FSEs, conveniently selected from eleven communities withinthe Greater Accra Region. The Food and Drugs Authority Code of Hygienic Practice for FSEswas used as a benchmark to guide development of the data collection instruments for the study. The data was obtained through a face-to-face interview, using a structured but partially open-ended questionnaire. The findings of the study revealed that more females than males worked in food service establishments. Awareness of food safety was generally high amongst food handlers in the study area. However more than half (60 %) of those who were awarehad not been trained on food hygiene. Additionally, nearly three quarters (71%) of food handlers indicated they had undergone the mandatory food handler‟s test. The study thus concluded that there were inadequate food safety practices exhibited by food handlers within the study area.The study recommends the increase and sustained provision of tailored madesensitization and training programmes on food safety forFSE operatives by key stakeholders responsible for ensuring food safety in the Country