Personal Hygiene and Sanitary Practices among Food Handlers Working in Cafeterias of Higher Education Institutes in Delhi

Cafeteria is a place where students and staff relax and enjoy delicious food. It is renowned for providing a wide range of menu options at reasonable prices. Since food is a perishable commodity susceptible to contamination, the basic sanitary and hygienic environment is essential for its production and distribution. Safe, clean and wholesome food is indispensable for the health and well-being of consumers. Unsafe food due to invasion of microorganisms can cause infection and sickness. Food safety must be observed at every step of food handling; thus, food handlers play a major part in the production and distribution of safe food. Therefore, the present study evaluates knowledge, attitude and practice of food handlers regarding sanitation and personal hygiene, working in cafeterias of various colleges of the University of Delhi. The study sample comprises 90 food handlers, selected from 18 colleges of the University of Delhi. The result denotes a significant correlation between knowledge and education level (p