Public health significance of food safety in relation to the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of employees in catering facilities

SAŽETAK Uvod: Svetska zdravstvena organizacija (SZO) ističe da ishrana i zdravstvena bezbednost hrane kao međusobno zavisne komponente predstavljaju ključne elemente javnog zdravlja. Zdravstveno bezbedna hrana je ona koja ne sadrži fizičke, hemijske ni mikrobiološke kontaminente, odnosno, nakon konzumiranja neće dovesti do poremećaja zdravlja. Iako su preventabilne, incidenca bolesti koje se prenose hranom je u stalnom porastu. Prema poslednjim dostupnim podacima SZO objavljenim u oktobru 2017. godine, 600 miliona ljudi, odnosno 1 od 10 ljudi, u svetu, se razboli nakon konzumiranja kontaminirane hrane, od čega 420 000 umre svake godine. Brojna istraživanja su pokazala da ponašanje zaposlenih tokom rukovanja hranom predstavlja značajan faktor za prevenciju nastanka trovanja hranom. Edukacija o bezbednosti hrane je prepoznata, ali nedovoljno iskorištena preventivna javnozdravstvena intervencija koja sprečava nastanak velikog broja oboljenja različite etiologije. Bolesti koje se prenose hranom usled prisustva mikrobioloških, hemijskih ili fizičkih kontaminanata predstavljaju ozbiljnu pretnju za zdravlje miliona ljudi. Cilj: Ispitati stavove, ponašanje i znanje zaposlenih koji rade sa hranom u ugostiteljskim objektima o higijeni i zdrvstvenoj bezbednosti hrane pre i posle interventne edukacije i utvrditi da li interventna edukacija o bezbednosti hrane može dovesti do smanjenja rizika od nastanka bolesti koje se prenose hranom, kao i utvrditi eventualne propuste i najčešće razloge nehigijenskog rukovanja hranom, te identifikovati ključne elemente u kojima ugostiteljski objekti mogu da poboljšaju higijenu i bezbednost hrane. Meterijal i metod: Istraživanje je dizajnirano kao epidemiološko-opservaciona i interventna prospektivna studija koja je sprovedena u četiri faze. Prva faza je bila pre, a treća i četvrta nakon druge faze, odnosno edukacije. U istraživanju je učestvovalo 385 ispitanika zaposlenih u 110 ugostiteljskih objekata. Kao instrument istraživanja korišćeni su posebno strukturisan upitnik, zatvorenog tipa za procenu znanja, stavovai ponašanja, ček lista za ocenu higijensko-sanitarnog stanja i uzorci hrane za mikrobiološku analizu, kao i uzorci briseva radi određivanja stanja hiigijene u objektima obuhvaćenim studijomABSTRACT Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) points out that nutrition and food safety as interdependent components are key elements of public health. Healthy food is one that does not contain physical, chemical or microbiological contaminants, that is, after consuming it will not lead to a health disorder. Although preventable, the incidence of foodborne diseases is constantly increasing. According to the latest available WHO data released in October 2017, 600 million people, or 1 in 10 people worldwide, are ill after consuming contaminated food, of which 420 000 die every year. Numerous studies have shown that the behavior of employees during food handling is a significant factor in the prevention of food poisoning. Food safety education is recognized but underutilized preventive public health intervention that prevents the emergence of a large number of diseases of different aetiology. Foodborne diseases due to the presence of microbiological, chemical or physical contaminants pose a serious threat to the health of millions of people. Objective: To examine the attitudes, behavior and knowledge of employees working with food in catering facilities on hygiene and health food safety before and after interventional education and to determine whether interventional education on food safety can lead to a reduction in the risk of developing foodborne diseases , ascertaining possible omissions and the most common reasons for unsanitary food handling, and identifying key elements in which catering facilities can improve hygiene and food safety. Meterial and method: The research was designed as an epidemiological-observational and interventional prospective study that was conducted in four phases. The first phase was before, and the third and fourth after the second phase, respectively education. The survey involved 385 respondents employed in 110 restaurants. As a research instrument, a specially structured questionnaire, closed type for assessment of knowledge, attitudes and behavior, check list for the hygienic-sanitary situation and food samples for microbiological analysis were used, as well as samples of swabs in order to determine the hygienic state in the facilities covered by the study