Food Safety Knowledge and Practices of Catering Employees at Some Public Restaurants in Alexandria

The primary focus of the present study is to figure out the reflection of “knowledge, practices of food personnel”
on the hygienic quality of some public restaurants’ products through conducting a microbiological assessment
of ready to eat food products as an evidence of the hygienic quality in our restaurant segments. The present study encompassed
(100) persons responsible for food handling in some traditional fast food restaurant located in Alexandria,
Egypt. Questionnaire tool was used to evaluate the food workers (n = 100) knowledge and practices in respect to safe
food procedures, whilst the food samples (n = 70) were examined for the overall microbial counting. The analysis
of employee’s knowledge and practices revealed that the overall food safety knowledge level was low (mean score
= 45.2 2.3% ±) and moderate level of food safety practices (mean score =49.6±2.4%). It is noteworthy that the low
knowledge level and moderate level of practices were mirrored in the microbial analysis of ready to eat food products,
in which (n = 70) the examined food products had a total aerobic bacteria count ranged from 2.04 ± 0.09 log CFU/g to
4.26 ± 0.35 log CFU /g. The total coliforms bacteria count ranged from 0.66 ± 0.16 log CFU /g to 3.43 ± 0.23 log CFU
/g. It was observed that ready to eat green salad has the highest bacteria count. The Salmonella count was detected
in all samples except burger chicken and French fries. No total staphylococcus count from any of the food samples
except green salads and burger meat.