ASSESSMENT OF FOOD SAFETY KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES AMONG FOOD SERVICES STAFF IN PALESTINIAN HOSPITALS
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Date
2026-01-04
Authors
Abu Rass, Basel
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Publisher
An-Najah National University
Abstract
Foodborne illnesses can develop from inappropriate food handling and preparation, especially in vulnerable persons. Therefore, hospital diet safety is a serious public health issue. There is a shortage of information in Palestine regarding hospital food handlers' knowledge and practices regarding food safety. A cross-sectional evaluation of the KAP concerning the food safety of food service workers in Palestinian hospitals was made. By validated questionnaire, personal interviews with 77 participants were conducted. In six governorates - Nablus, Ramallah, Jenin, Tulkarem, Hebron, and Qalqilia the participants were gathered from both public and private hospitals. ANOVA and descriptive statistics were used to look into relationships between KAP scores and sociodemographic or occupational traits. The safe food storage procedures, suitable meat and poultry preparation, and cross-contamination prevention techniques were discovered with highly adherence. Certain behaviors, such as using a thermometer to check the temperature, examining the integrity of the package, and consistently separating raw and prepared food during meal preparation, demonstrated low compliance.