Assessment On The Knowledge Of Food Vendors On Food Hygiene In Imo State
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Assessment On The Knowledge Of Food Vendors On Food Hygiene In Imo State
Chapter One: Introduction
Background of the Study
Food is defined as anything that, when consumed, serves to nourish or build up the body’s tissues, as well as to provide body health.
Man is composed of what he eats. Food’s contents, which include proteins, carbs, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water, nourish the body and keep men healthy and attractive.
These constitutions or nutrients serve three key purposes in the organism.
Carbohydrates, lipids, and oils provide energy for exercise and warmth.
Protein promotes the growth and repair of worn-out bodily tissues.
Vitamins and minerals serve to manage a variety of intricate bodily functions.
Food, as an organic substance, produces germs easily, making contamination quite easy (Ebede, 2008).
Food hygiene refers to the circumstances and procedures required to assure the safety of food from manufacturing to consumption. Food contamination can occur at any time during slaughter or harvesting, processing, storage, distribution, transportation, or preparation. (World Health Organisation, 2014).
Food hygiene can be defined as all of the circumstances and measures required throughout the production, storage, distribution, and preparation of food to ensure that it is safe, sound, wholesome, and suitable for human consumption.
Food hygiene deals with the prevention of contamination of food stuff at all stages of its production, for example, from the time the food is produced to the time when it is served for consumption.
It involves the proper handling of food stuff and drinks, all the utensils and equipment used in the food preparation, service, and consumption, as well as the care and treatment of foods known to be contaminated with poisons or pathogenic micro-organisms that have originated from the
All persons who handle food at various points along the supply chain, from production to consumer homes, have an important role in food hygiene and safety. A food handler is someone who comes into contact with food, machine implements, or the material in which the food is packed (Obionu, 2009).
This concept suggests that any screening method may clearly identify a huge community of persons who pose a potential food safety issue.
Food vendors should be trained and informed on food hygiene laws, as well as subjected to required medical examinations for tuberculosis, typhoid, and cholera.
Statement of the Problem
Globally, food poisoning is one of the leading causes of death. Food poisoning arises as a result of poor food hygiene and contamination of food. Unsanitary food preparation exposes people to a variety of illnesses, including gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, and stomach pain.
In developing countries, such as Nigeria, the incidence of food-borne diseases poses a serious threat to the lives of individuals, families, and the community as a whole, regardless of the number of cases involved.
The problem has been on the increase in Nigeria and Imo-State in particular, as evidenced by a high percentage of hospital admissions as well as emergency cases treated as a result of poor hygiene practices by persons that handle food for public consumption.
This prompted the researcher to investigate the knowledge and practice of food hygiene among food vendors in Emekuku Owerri market, Imo State.
Research Questions
Do food vendors comprehend proper food hygiene?
How do food merchants prepare and preserve food?
What are the sources of water supply for food vendors?
Objectives of the Study
To assess food sellers’ understanding of food hygiene in terms of cooking, serving, and preserving.
To determine the source of water supply for food sellers.
To determine how food merchants store leftover meals.
Significance of the Study
The study will contribute to improved food hygiene procedures among food vendors in general.
It will reduce the morbidity and mortality caused by food vendors’ inadequate food hygiene practices.
It will guide the government in enforcing national food hygiene and safety regulations.
It will identify strategies to improve food hygiene procedures among food providers.
It will create a baseline for other academics who wish to conduct study on a comparable topic.
It will assist other health officials in understanding the areas of concentration during mass enlightenment efforts on food hygiene.
Scope of the Study
The study is limited to food sellers in Emekuku Owerri market Imo-State. Fifty food vendors were employed in the study to assess their degree of knowledge and practice of food hygiene.
Operational Definition of Terms
Food: Anything that enters the body serves to nourish or build up the tissues.
Hygiene is a state of cleanliness that promotes the preservation of health.
Food vendors are people who cook or handle food, whether open or packed, in Emekuku Market.
Contamination is the process of making something unclean or unsafe by introducing a chemical or poison to it.
Knowledge: What food suppliers understand about food hygiene.
Practice: How food vendors implement food hygiene in the Emekuku market.
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