Effect of Food Hygiene and Safety Training Intervention on Compliance with Food Hygiene and Safety Practices Among Food Handlers in Boarding Schools in Embu County, Kenya

Background: While compliance with food safety and hygiene practices has been addressed by different stakeholders, scarce data exist on the effectiveness of training on food hygiene and safety among food handlers in boarding schools. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of food hygiene and safety training on compliance with food hygiene and safety practices among food handlers in boarding schools in Embu County, Kenya. Results: The overall compliance increased from 74% to 84% in the intervention arm compared to the control. This is a change of 12% that could be attributed to the intervention, p<0.001. Results showed that compliance with personal hygiene measures increased from 70% to 76% in the intervention arm which is a DID change of 6%, p=0.029. Compliance with food safety measures as far as premises are concerned increased from 72% to 89% in the intervention arm which is a DID change of 18%, p=<0.001. Compliance with environmental food safety measures increased from 81% to 85% in the intervention arm which is a DID change of 9%, p<0.001 Conclusion: Food hygiene and safety training intervention on compliance with food hygiene and safety practices was effective on various aspects of food hygiene measures assessed.