Assessment of Food Sanitation Knowledge and Performance of Food Service Workers in School Food Service Operations Implementing HACCP

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study was to analyze the levels of food sanitation knowledge and performance by school food service workers. The data were collected by 440 food service workers in Gyeongbuk province. The collected data were analyzed using the SAS package program (version 8.2 for Window). The results of this study are summarized as follows: 28.6% of the respondents worked in food service at the school where their children attended, 93.6% of the food service workers were part-time employees, and 40.4% had ob tained cooking certificates. The food sanitation knowledge scores of food service worker s differed significantly according to age (p<0.05), holdi ng of cooking cer tificates (p<0.01), number of certificates (p<0.01), and whether food service workers is students' parents or not (p<0.01). In addition, the sanitation-performance-degree levels of a few sanitation management items were significantly different according to their food sanitation knowledge level, working time, and whether food service workers is students' parents or not. In conclusion, these factors that improve food service sanitation should be fully considered when food service workers are hired or when food service management policies are established. Additionally, sanitation education and training for school food service workers should be offered regularly with effective education media.