Assessment on Food Safety Practices and Proper Hygiene of Food Handlers in Bestlink College of the Philippines Canteen

Vol.4, No.1

Abstract

Food safety encompasses a wide variety of issues, such as challenges with nutrition, food
quality, labeling, and education, as well as the prevention of physical threats, chemical
substances that are poisonous, and illnesses transmitted by food. In order to make sure that
the food and beverages provided to customers are safe, kitchen and restaurant staff have to
abide by a set of regulations and protocols called food safety.

Respondents in the age range of 18 -25 years old, mostly first-year students. Food handlers
always keep their fingernails clean to avoid food contamination and wear hair nets to prevent
the dripping of sweat and falling hair into the food; avoid touching the nose, mouth, hair, and
skin during food preparation. Food handlers wash their hands with soap and water before,
during, and after preparing food; they should also wash their utensils and countertops with hot
and soapy water after preparing food items, keep the food in shallow containers, and then
refrigerate. Health Problems, Proper Haircut, Proper Uniform, clean Nails, Proper Washing of
Hands, Dirty and Contaminated Utensils and Equipment, Cleanliness of Surroundings,
Improper Cooking Temperature, Poor Employee Health, and Hygiene must be maintained as
well.

The school canteen may have a regular employee like the one who can maintain the
cleanliness of the school canteen; trashcan can be placed far from the dining tables in the
school canteen so that the smell of spoiled food does not smell beside the tables and chairs,
school canteen should provide electric fans and exhaust fans to maintain the ventilation inside
the canteen, school administration should have a policy that all canteen staffs must wash their
hands every 30 minutes as a standard requirement to avoid food poisoning and food
contamination and lastly have an annual or every six months rule in changing their plates
glass and also their utensils.