Food hygiene practices among food handlers in the national primary school feeding programme, Gutu district, Zimbabwe
- Author
- Mushangwe, Moreblessing
- Title
- Food hygiene practices among food handlers in the national primary school feeding programme, Gutu district, Zimbabwe
- Abstract
- Background: Food safety is an important facet of public health. Particularly in school feeding programmes since children are more susceptible to foodborne infections. Objective: The study explored the food hygiene practices of untrained food handlers in the national primary school feeding programme (NPSFP) in Zimbabwe which remains largely unexamined. Methods: A mixed-methods research design was used to analyse food hygiene behaviours among 100 food handlers in five primary schools in Gutu district, Zimbabwe, from 3 February to 19 March 2025 A piloted questionnaire, observational checklist and a focus group discussion were used to solicit data from the participants. Key findings: The findings revealed moderate overall hygiene compliance (64.1%), with strong foundational practices (100% handwashing, 98% utensil separation) but critical gaps in surface sanitization (11% consistent, 68% never). Sanitary conditions showed universal deficits: 100% of schools lacked detergent-based cleaning and 60% had inadequate rodent-proof storage despite safe water access. A significant positive correlation existed between education level and hygiene scores (r = 0.45, p = 0.01), with tertiary educated handlers demonstrating 2.3× higher compliance than primary educated counterparts. Experience showed no significant association (p= 0.512), attributed to rotational staffing undermining skill retention. Findings underscore the need for targeted training and infrastructure investment. Conclusion: This study emphasises the importance of food safety training, improved sanitary conditions for food serving areas and support mechanisms for food handlers in the NPSFP to enhance food safety and lower health risks for school children. Key terms: Food safety, Hygiene practices, National Primary School Feeding Programme, Food handlers, Zimbabwe.
- Date
- May 2025
- Publisher
- BUSE
- Keywords
- Food safety
- Feeding
- Public health
- Supervisor
- Dr. A. Kanda
- Item sets
- Department of Environmental Science
- Media
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Mushangwe - SHEM.pdf