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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.7
Publication Date: July 25, 2020
DOI:10.14738/assrj.77.8660. Udoh, E., & Udoh, E. (2020). Food Safety Practices of Household Food Preparers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.. Advances in Social
Sciences Research Journal, 7(7) 541-563.
Food Safety Practices of Household Food Preparers in Akwa Ibom
State, Nigeria.
Ekaette Udoh
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension,
Akwa Ibom State University Obio Akpa Campus, Uyo, Nigeria
Edet Udoh
Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension,
University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
Generally, study analysed the food safety practices of household food
preparers in Akwa Ibom state. A multi-stage sampling procedure was
used to collect cross-sectional data from 457 respondents. Specifically,
study determined the prevalence, margin and intensity of and factors
influencing food safety practices of household food preparers. Given two
critical indices 0.62 and 0.42, the study showed that the prevalence of
best food safety practices is 49.45% and 97.8% respectively. Results of
the disaggregated mean prevalence show that households that carry out
less than best food safety practices do so sometimes and not often
respectively while those who carry out best practices, do so most times.
The mean margins, based on the two respective critical indices 0.62 and
0.42, suggest that, minimally, policy could seek to raise the value of the
food safety and dietary practices index of households with less than best
practices by 0.08 and 0.04 respectively. The values of the intensity (of
the mean margin)0.009, 0.002 and 0.004, 0.0003, in pairs each
representative of the two critical indices-0.62 and 0.42, show that the
deviation is more severe when the mean is adopted as critical index both
when only deviating and all households are considered. Results of the
fractional probit regression indicated that education, household income
and confidence in safety labels are statistically significant in explaining
the probability of households carrying out food safety practices. The gap
between households who carry out less than best and best food safety
practices should be bridged.
Keywords: Food Safety, Prevalence, Margin and Intensity.
INTRODUCTION
With considerable regional differences in the global burden of food borne diseases, Africa stands
out, as having the highest burden per population of food borne diseases [22]. In Nigeria, despite the
efforts of Government through its National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
(NAFDAC), to improve the safety of food supply, food safety still remains a major issue. Empirical
literature has revealed that the increase in food borne illnesses could be linked to inappropriate
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Udoh, E., & Udoh, E. (2020). Food Safety Practices of Household Food Preparers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal,
7(7) 541-563.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.77.8660 542
food safety practices in homes, as the home surroundings can encourage the perpetuation of a
gamut of food borne pathogens [21]. Evidently, in the study area, as the case in developing
economies’ households, knowledge level and adoption of globally acceptable food safety practices
are questionably low. In the case where the foods items are traded under unregulated and
hygienically poor market situations, the foods bought and prepared at homes are highly susceptible
to food contamination, thus impeding the overall safety of the consuming households. The situation
is even worse in the poor and vulnerable households that have little or no access to basic food
storage household assets.
The food preparer plays a cardinal role in the realization of near total compliance to food safety
practices throughout the whole process in the food chain, especially the food preparation and
storage [12, 14]. Hence, it is critical for the food preparers to fully practice the best acceptable food
safety measures, which according to [13]; include proper hand washing, maintain good personal
hygiene, wearing clean work attire, adherence to food-hygiene practices at work and carry out
regular training to ensure that the food they handle and prepare is safe. Literature, particularly
specific to the Nigerian setting are reviewed in the following paragraphs to provide context and
background for the study.
The aim of a study by [9] was to identify the food safety practices of residents of a rural community
in Southwest, Nigeria. Based on a cross-sectional design, five clusters were selected by simple
random sampling from the sampling frame. Households were drawn from all the clusters to obtain
a sample size of 216 households. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The
authors reported that majority of the respondents were female (62.2%), Christians (78.1%),
married (53.1%). Further reports showed that residents of the community showed good food safety
practices with 80.6% reported to always washing their hands before cooking, 90.3% always clean
their cooking utensils before and after use, 83.7% always clean their cooking environment, and
nearly all (96.9%) reported washing their hands after using the toilet.
Similarly, [5] analysed the food safety knowledge and practices among farming households in
Irepodun Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State, Nigeria. Due to its large population of
farmers, Irepodun LGA was purposively selected. Using a two-stage sampling technique one
hundred and four (104) respondents were randomly selected from five villages. Primary data was
obtained via an interview schedule. The findings showed that the mean income was 156375.50 NGN
(441.74 USD) per annum, majority of the farming households have low knowledge towards food
safety practices. Constraints to food safety practices include: lack of knowledge, inadequate training
and awareness and inadequate finance. Outcome of PPMC analysis showed that income and
educational level was significantly related to the food safety practices among farmers across the
selected farming households.
[3] carried out a descriptive, cross sectional study among food vendors in primary schools in Jos
North Local Government Area to determine the knowledge and practice of food safety and hygiene.
The authors reported that, the mean age of the food handlers in the study was 25.8 ± 5.3 years with
the mean years of work experience as 7.8 ± 1.3 years. Statistically significant relationship was
additionally reported between age (P <0.001) and practice of food safety and hygiene.
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 7, July-2020
[2] examined the knowledge of food-borne illnesses and food safety practices of local food handlers
in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area of Ogun State. A sample of four hundred and seventy three
local food handlers (snacks and cooked food handlers) were drawn for the study. Interviewer’s
administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on knowledge and practice and a score index
was then computed. The authors report that majority (66.4%) of the respondents were female and
17.0% food handlers had no formal education. Majority (84.5%) of the respondents earned below
N30000. Additionally, 31.5% respondents had poor food safety practices. Educational qualification
of respondents had a significant relationship with their food safety practices (P=0.0011).
[4] assesed food hygiene knowledge and practices among food handlers in University of Nigeria,
Nsukka Campus. Two specific objectives undergirded the study. The study implemented a
descriptive, cross-sectional survey research design. The population for the study was 165 food
handlers. There was no sampling done. A researchers’- designed food hygiene knowledge and
practices questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. Results revealed that all the
respondents (100%) who have no formal education were knowledgeable about food hygiene;
90.8% of those who have primary education, 92.3% of those who have secondary education and
92.3 of those who have no tertiary education had good knowledge of food hygiene. The authors also
reported that there was no significant difference in the food hygiene practices of food handlers
based on level of education (P = >.05).
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted by [10] among food vendors and food handlers
in Obafemi University Ile-Ife, South Western Nigeria. The sample of vendors drawn for the study
were 238. Data was collected using a 3- sectioned structured questionnaire. The results indicated
that more than half of the respondents were female (58%). It further showed that 48.7% of the
respondents had completed training in food safety, out of which (49.6%) had completed university
education or currently enrolled in the university. Additionally, results showed that 115 (78.2%) of
respondents had satisfactory safety hygiene practices and 28 (19.0%) had unsafe hygiene practices.
The main aim of a study conducted by [6] was to determine the effect of training on knowledge and
practice of food hygiene and safety among food handlers in restaurants in Abakaliki, Nigeria. A
quasi-experimental design was adopted for the study. A total of 170 food handlers selected for the
study. Results revealed that, post-intervention, the fraction of food handlers in the intervention
group who had very good practice of food hygiene and safety also increased significantly by 28.4%
(p<0.01).
A study was carried out to examine the knowledge, attitude and hygienic practices of food vendors
in Owerri town of Imo State, Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional, descriptive design and a proportionate
convenience sampling technique, 200 food vendors from the three Local Government Areas (LGAs)
in Owerri town were selected. Data were obtained using a pretested semi-structured interviewer
administered questionnaire. The authors, [11] reported that majority of the respondents had a good
level of knowledge (81%) and positive attitude (71%) about food hygiene, only 37% of the
respondents had a good level of hygienic practice. It was further indicated that 32% and 46% of the
respondents received training on food hygiene and environmental health worker inspection
respectively. It was, additionally, shown that, there were statistically significant relationships
between knowledge (p = 0.001), attitude (p = 0.000), formal training on food hygiene (p = 0.000)
and the level of food hygienic practices.