Abstract
Purpose: Chopbars provide urban and rural communities with easy access to affordable food. However, whether the food produced by these vendors is safe and healthy for human consumption is a big question. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of chopbar workers, and explore the relationship between their knowledge and practices on food safety in the KEEA Municipality.
Methodology: Purposive cluster sampling was utilized to select 147 chopbar workers in the Municipality and responded to a researcher-designed questionnaire. Frequency distribution and Goodman-Kruskal’s Gamma test were used to analyze the data.
Findings: This study revealed that the chopbar workers in the KEEA Municipality have low levels of knowledge on food safety. Most of the chopbar workers had no formal education and this impacted negatively on their level of knowledge. Although the workers had poor knowledge, the majority of them had a positive attitude towards food safety practices, as many of them demonstrated moderate level of food safety practice.
Research Limitations/Implications: The study used a closed-ended questionnaire therefore, it constrained the respondents from expressing divergent views, also data collected with structured questionnaires have the problem of bias normally associated with all the studies based on the use of questionnaires and this could not be completely ruled out and likely to affect the extent to which the findings of this study could be generalized.
Practical Implications: The knowledge advanced in this study will enable owners and regulatory bodies to improve their monitoring/supervision activities to prevent and reduce negative implications of poor food handling practices at these eating establishments.
Social Implications: The study provided data essential for the formulation of guidelines and regulations that will help to improve the safety of food served at chopbars.
Originality/Value: The originality of this study lies in the use of the Theory of Planned Behaviour as its theoretical framework and the introduction of leadership as an additional construct to ensure owners, managers/supervisors ensure effective monitoring and supervision.
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Segbedzi, C.E., Ansah, E.W. (2022). Determining Food Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Chopbar Workers. In: Mojekwu, J.N., Thwala, W., Aigbavboa, C., Bamfo-Agyei, E., Atepor, L., Oppong, R.A. (eds) Sustainable Education and Development – Making Cities and Human Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient, and Sustainable. ARCA 2021. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90973-4_25
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