Level of Awareness, Attitudes, and Practices on Food Handling and Sanitation Among Crews in Catering Service Establishments in Ormoc City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/ijsis.V1.I3.177Keywords:
Catering Crews, Food Handling, Food Safety Awareness, Knowledge-Attitude-Practice Model, Sanitation Practices, Sustainable Development Goals, Theory of Planned BehaviorAbstract
This study assessed food safety awareness, attitudes, and sanitation practices among catering crews in selected catering service establishments in Ormoc City, Leyte, and examined differences according to age, sex, and job title. Anchored in the Knowledge-Attitude-Practice Model and Theory of Planned Behavior, the study employed a descriptive-comparative research design involving 40 catering crew members from five establishments selected through purposive and quota sampling. Data were collected using an adapted 30-item structured questionnaire and analyzed through frequencies, percentages, weighted means, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Findings revealed high levels of food safety awareness (4.71), positive attitudes (4.72), and sanitation practices (4.68), with an overall weighted mean of 4.71. Respondents demonstrated strong awareness of food preparation cleanliness and positive attitudes toward food safety. However, proper reheating, confidence in sanitation procedures, and cold food temperature maintenance emerged as areas requiring improvement. Significant differences were identified in sanitation practices across age groups (p = 0.0278) and in awareness (p = 0.0220) and sanitation practices (p = 0.0142) across job titles. No significant differences were observed according to sex. The study recommends regular practical training, position-specific instruction, improved temperature monitoring, and strengthened sanitation supervision. The findings support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by emphasizing foodborne illness prevention, safer working practices, and responsible food handling. The study contributes to public health and institutional sustainability by providing localized evidence to guide food safety education, sanitation management, and continuous improvement in catering operations.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Kim C. Reales, Ma. Edel Jane J. Reyes, Angelou T. Angeles Jr., Mark Daniel V. Arcillas, Joebhel D. Castro, Samantha P. Cuña, Paul Dominic F. Gimena, John Rey C. Guden, Princess Lourine G. Oquias, Charina L. Salinas, Fannie Mae A. Sumile, Kent Jaster C. Ybañez, Dave Juan Longakit, Jenny A. Babor (Author)
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