Impact of Structured Educational Programme on Food Handlers’ Knowledge and Practices in Food Safety

Abstract

The investigation sought to increase awareness among food handlers regarding proper food handling and storage procedures, with the broader aim of   ensuring food safety and minimizing foodborne illnesses. The key objectives included assessing the level of knowledge and actual practices related to food handling and storage among food handlers in the Food and Beverage Department of a selected medical college in Wayanad, examining the impact of a structured teaching programme on improving these skills, and identifying the relationship between baseline knowledge scores and selected demographic characteristics. A pre-experimental single-group pre-test post-test research design was implemented, and a total of 50 participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and a structured practice checklist, and analysis was performed using both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. Findings showed that the mean pre-test knowledge score was 10.32 (SD = 3.96), which increased to 14.86 (SD = 2.73) following the intervention. The results demonstrated that the structured teaching programme significantly enhanced participants’ understanding of food handling and storage practices, with the improvement found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05).