Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between food safety knowledge and practices among food handlers in Lagos State, Nigeria, with a view to assessing whether food safety knowledge translates into safe food handling practices. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional design and utilized a structured questionnaire administered to 200 food handlers selected from five Local Government Areas/Local Council Development Areas in Lagos East Senatorial District. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and the t-test. The findings revealed that food handlers possessed a generally high level of food safety knowledge, with an overall mean knowledge score of 3.02 (SD = 0.99). High proportions of respondents correctly recognized the importance of food safety systems (88.5%), cleanliness of food processing premises (86.0%), and personal hygiene practices (74.5%). However, notable knowledge gaps existed in critical areas, as only 49.5% recognized the need for separate utensils for raw and cooked foods, while only 45.0% demonstrated correct knowledge of coughing and sneezing etiquette. Food safety practices were moderately high, with an overall mean practice score of 0.77 (SD = 0.42). Most respondents reported regular handwashing before handling food (94.5%), proper protection of food from contamination (94.5%), sanitation of equipment and utensils (92.0%), and maintenance of clean storage facilities (90.0%). Nevertheless, deficiencies were observed in key operational areas, with only 66.5% of establishments having pest-control systems, 68.5% maintaining verifiable food safety systems, and 66.0% using separate cutting boards for raw and cooked foods. Furthermore, approximately 70.0% of the food establishments surveyed were unregistered. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a statistically significant positive but moderate relationship between food safety knowledge and food handling practices (r = 0.379, t(198) = 5.762, p < 0.001), indicating that knowledge accounted for only 14.4% of the variation in food safety practices. The study concludes that while food safety knowledge is an important determinant of safe food handling behaviour, it is insufficient on its own to ensure compliance with food safety standards.

Keywords: Food safety, Knowledge, Practices, Food handlers, Industrialization