Assessing the Relationship Between Food Safety Behaviour and Escherichia coli Contamination from Uncertified School Catering Services
2025
Siti Maisyaroh Bakti Pertiwi | Hanifa M. Denny | Nurjazuli Nurjazuli | Syamsulhuda Budi Musthofa
Food safety is an important issue in the school environment, especially by food handlers responsible for providing lunches to students, who are vulnerable to foodborne diseases. This cross-sectional study assessed the demographic characteristics of food handlers, including food safety-related knowledge and behaviour, and their impact on Escherichia coli bacterial contamination on their hands. Data were collected from 88 foodservice workers in 6 selected schools from a structured questionnaire and a hand swab test. The results showed that 39.8% of the food handlers had good knowledge and 38.6% implemented good food safety practices. These findings are significant, considering that 10.2% of food handlers tested positive for Escherichia coli, which can be fatal to the health of vulnerable students. Further statistical analyses identified a significant relationship between food handler behaviour and Escherichia coli contamination (p = 0.031), although no significant relationship with knowledge level was determined (p = 0.135). This study underscores the importance of food safety training for non-certified food handlers in internal school catering services. These results also provide a knowledge basis for policymakers and schools regarding taking immediate preventive measures to maintain the health and safety of students.
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