Effect of Food Safety Training on Achieving Good Hygiene Practices in Restaurants in the Emirates of Dubai

Food safety, specifically in restaurants, is becoming a key public health priority because of the increased number of meals eaten outside the home. Foodborne illness prevention thus is a significant concern and a public health priority in the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai, because of the extensive tourism industry. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of using demonstrations in training sessions to improve food safety knowledge and practices amongst food handlers. A descriptive and quantitative approach has been applied to collect the quantifiable information related to the research study. This has been further analyzed using the correlation tests to gather the required data. On comparison of the pre-test scores between the intervention and the control group, the t-test analysis showed significant difference in the level of food safety knowledge between the two groups. Pre-test score for the control group was 78.33 and post-test score was 104.66. In the case of the intervention group, pre-test score was 91.37 and post-test score was 130.75. The scores of food handlers’ food safety practice for control group: pre-treatment score was 470 and post-treatment score was 646. For intervention group: pre-test score was 723 and post-test score was 1,056. The study concluded that training with demonstration techniques is an effective way of improving compliance with food safety guidelines. It has been understood that training helps in improving the performance of the employees while reducing the foodborne diseases and maintaining hygiene in the food. The study recommends every restaurant needs to provide regular trainings to the employees so that the restaurants can maintain hygiene and food safety practices.