THE FOOD HYGIENE PRACTICES IN PREVENTING FOOD HAZARDS AMONG FOOD HANDLERS IN UNIVERSITY OF ILORIN.

Food hygiene encompasses several principles and procedures to ensure food safety. Poor food hygiene practices put everyone at risk, and food handlers play a key role in ensuring food safety. Improper hand washing, allowing customers to have direct contact with food, talking while handling food, fixing and polishing nails and using phones during food handling by the food handlers are some factors contributing to food hazards and contamination, which can lead to food poisoning. This study assessed food hygiene practices in preventing food hazards among food handlers in University of Ilorin. The objective was to examine food hygiene practices, specifically hand washing and proper food handling. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used for this study. The participants were food handlers at the University of Ilorin. A total sampling technique was employed to select all 117 food handlers working at 18 food vending establishments that sell cooked food on campus. A researcher-designed questionnaire and structured observation checklist were used for data collection, both of which were validated by three experts in the Department of Health Promotion and Environmental Health Education. A reliability coefficient (r) of 0.76 was obtained through test-retest reliability using Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation (PPMC). Two research questions were formulated and answered, while two hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. The data collected were analyzed using percentage, frequency and chi-square. The results of the findings revealed that there is significant practice of proper hand washing, with the calculated chi-square value of 215.084 greater than the table value of 21.03 at 18 df. Also, there is significant practice of proper food handling, with a calculated chi-square value of 215.588 greater than the table value of 14.03 at 7 df. The study concluded that food handlers demonstrated proper hygiene practices in hand washing and food handling. It recommended that food handlers undergo continuous training to reinforce good hygiene practices. Additionally, the Campus Eatery Regulatory Board should ensure continuous monitoring to maintain compliance with proper food handling practices among food vendors on campus.