Assess Sanitary Condition and Food Handling Practices of Restaurants in Jimma Town, Ethiopia: Implication for Food Born Infection and Food Intoxication

Abstract

A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted to assess sanitary conditions and food handling practice of restaurants in Jimma town for the implication of food born infection and food intoxication. Out of 75 restaurants registered in the town forty of them were randomly selected by lottery method to have a representative sample. Two food handlers from each restaurant were selected for the questionnaire. Majority of the food handlers working in Jimma town restaurants were aged less than twenty years old (55%), elementary education (62.5%), service years less than two years (42.5%) and income below 500 birr (55%). Concerning the personal hygiene about 65%, 55%, 50%, 50% were not worn gown, had not hair cover, worn unclean gown and hair cover and not trimmed finger nails, respectively. Hand washing habits of food handlers before handling food was found poor. The study revealed that most of the food handlers about 87.5% had not taken any training on food hygiene and regular medical checkup. Majority (57.5%) of them were not heard about food borne disease, causes and mode of food borne diseases. Age, educational background, service years and absence of training may affect the knowledge of food handlers on food borne diseases. Latrine facility, solid and liquid waste disposal system, sanitary and physical condition of the kitchen and dining room were found poor. Awareness creation on food hygiene through training and regular follow up is important to increase the knowledge of food handlers. There should be also a guide line for the establishment of kitchen and dining room of restaurants.

Keywords: Restaurants, food handlers, food borne disease, Food Born Infection, Food Intoxication