Food Safety Practices of Food Handlers and Microbial Quality of Food Served at Food Establishments of Academic Institutions in Northern Ethiopia

Background. Even though foodborne illness is a worldwide concern, it is devastating in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Objectives. The objective of this study was to assess the food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food handlers and the microbial profiles of food served at food establishments associated with Mekelle University in Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 332 food handlers working in food establishments at Mekelle University from January to May 2020. Quantitative data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and an observational checklist. Moreover, a total of 30 cooked food samples and 33 hand swab samples from 10% of the selected food handlers were collected to evaluate the microbial profile of the food. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with the outcome variables. Results. In this study, 79.5%, 55.4%, and 37.7% of the food handlers had good knowledge, a positive attitude, and good practices towards food safety, respectively. Their poor self-reported food safety practices were clearly observed during their actual practices. The microbial profile result revealed that Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were identified in 13 (39%) and 27 (82%) of the food handlers’ hand swabs, respectively. Conclusion. This study indicated that food handlers working at these food establishments had poor attitudes and practices towards food safety and the microbial count of food samples was generally higher than the food safety standard. The safety of the food being produced and served in these restaurants will be greatly improved by regular supervision and retraining.