Food Vendors' Knowledge and Activity in Food Hygiene in the Oroazi Community, in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Southern Nigeria

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of 650 food vendors in Orazi, a cosmopolitan settlement within the Port Harcourt metropolis in Southern Nigeria. Through a multi stage method, a sample size of 120 food vendors was obtained from the federated units of the community. The Health Belief Theory guided the research. The problem that informed the study was the poor water supply and the waste management condition of the area. The instrument for data collection was the Food Hygiene Knowledge Scale (FHKS) developed by the researchers. Descriptive statistics of mean and simple percentages were used to analyze the data, and the results were presented in tables and graphs. While environmental health officers did a fair job of inspecting food vendors, overall cleanliness and the vendors' adherence to food safety regulations were good. The sellers' understanding and practice of environmental cleanliness were fair. It was determined that although these food vendors have not received much training, they possess the understanding and application of the principles necessary to guarantee food safety and potentially lower the incidence of morbidity and death from foodborne illnesses.