A comparison of the implementation of food hygiene standards between government and private catering establishments

A comparison of the implementation of food hygiene standards between government and private catering establishments was conducted throughout 2010 in Tripoli, Libya. The study focused on whether there is an association between the two types of establishments, and the application of food safety measures by employees. The food handlers' questionnaire was designed to assess food safety and hygiene measures resulting from staff training as well as to detect the similarities and the differences between the two types of institutes in application of food hygiene standards. Respondents were asked about food hygiene practices in their catering institutions, their attitude towards a range of food hygiene related issues and habits, that are considered crucial during food preparation, whereas the supervisors (managers) questionnaire was intended to investigate their awareness of the hazards, control, and any performance plans relating to their catering. The results showed that the level of implementation of food hygiene standards in private catering institution is higher than in the government ones. In addition, the supervisors of private institutions were more aware of food safety and food hygiene than the supervisors of government institutions. In general, the performance of food handlers and supervisors working in private sector is better than the performance of those working in government sector.