Only four percent of Panaji’s food handlers maintain hygiene

PANAJI: The next time you eat out beware. Personal hygiene among food handlers in the capital city is “sub-standard” with only 4% following correct hand washing practices against a startling 23.8% not washing hands even after passing urine, a research study conducted by the Goa Medical College’s department of preventive and social medicine has found. 

The findings of the research titled ‘A study of personal hygiene among food handlers in Panaji city, Goa’ were published in the latest edition of the International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health.

Reseachers Saili S Pradhan, Jagadish A Cacodcar and Nikhil S Akarkar interviewed two hundred and twenty seven participants across 12 food establishments in six different categories registered under the Corporation of the City of Panaji over a period of 18 months, between September 2015 and February 2017. The majority of participants (63%) were youth and (97%) males.

The picture that emerged from the findings of the study revealed shockingly poor hygiene levels among the food handlers. While hand hygiene is of utmost importance, a majority of them did not report correct hand washing practices post urination and post defecation before handling food. They also failed on the counts of maintaining clean nails and using gloves and head caps.

Only 4% followed correct hand washing practices though 40.9% reported washing with water and soap, while “23.8% of the study participants did not report washing hands after passing urine, 31.3% reported washing with water only”.

According to the study, usage of head caps while cooking was found only among 28.6% of the food handlers, 30.8% had clean nails at the time of examination and 33.9% used gloves at the workplace.

It was further observed that only 16.7% had good personal hygiene as against 33.9% who had poor personal hygiene. 

The study observed that there was significant association between the personal hygiene of the study participants and the training received in food safety.

“These findings emphasise the importance of pre-employment training and periodic training in personal hygiene and food safety to be given to the food handlers. The findings of this study indicate that it is essential to create awareness among the food handlers regarding importance of maintaining good personal hygiene and food hygiene so as to ensure food safety,” the study stated.