FOOD SAFETY KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES AMONG FOOD VENDORS IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCOOOLS IN NIGER STATE

Abstract

This study investigated food safety knowledge and practices among food vendors in public primary schools in Niger State. Specifically, the study examined the level of food safety knowledge among food vendors, identified the food safety practices adopted by the vendors, determined the relationship between food safety knowledge and food safety practices, and examined the factors influencing food safety knowledge and practices among food vendors in public primary schools in Niger State. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised food vendors in public primary schools in Niger State, while a sample size of 467 respondents was used for the study. A structured questionnaire titled “Food Safety Knowledge and Practices Questionnaire (FSKPQ)” was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by experts and administered to the respondents directly by the researcher. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to determine the relationship between food safety knowledge and food safety practices. The findings of the study revealed that food vendors possessed a high level of food safety knowledge with a grand mean score of 3.33. The study also showed that food vendors adopted good food safety practices with a grand mean score of 3.19. Furthermore, the study revealed a strong positive and significant relationship between food safety knowledge and food safety practices among food vendors (r = 0.68, p < 0.05). The findings further indicated that factors such as inadequate water supply, poor environmental sanitation, educational level, lack of food safety training, lack of storage facilities, and government inspection significantly influenced food safety knowledge and practices among food vendors. The study therefore recommended regular food safety training programmes, improved sanitation facilities, effective monitoring by health authorities, and continuous public health education for food vendors in schools.