CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

Food consumption is needed in our everyday lives. There are factors

that are observed when consuming food; like taste, aroma and appearance.

But the main concern of food consumption is its safety. This is where food

safety and sanitation comes. Food safety starts as soon as the raw food

product is purchased and ends with the proper storage of leftovers that are

put away for future use.

Food safety is the responsibility of every person who is involved in

food service. It begins with personal hygiene of staff, the safe handling of

food during preparation and serving, clean utensils, equipment, appliances,

storage facilities kitchen and dining room. It includes all practices involved

in protecting food from risk of contamination, poisons and foreign bodies

preventing any bacteria from multiplying to an extent which would result

illness of consumers; and destroying any harmful bacteria in the food by

thorough cooking or processing. Hence, serving safe food is the top priority

for every food service.

 Azanza et al. (2018) reported foodborne disease outbreaks in the

Philippines shows that food service eating facilities and home prepared food

were more prone to outbreaks occurrences. This study has the impact on the

implementation of national food safety controls of the Philippines.

This study aims what would be the outcome if food safety is not

practiced. The intent of this study is to determine if foodborne illness is an

outcome if food safety is implemented and sanitary practices are observed.

Additionally this study aims to provide knowledge and awareness of how

food safety and sanitation is practiced.

Theoretical Background

This study is primarily anchored with Germ theory. This theory was

discovered by a French scientist Louis Pasteur. According to Louis Pasteur

(1860-1864), this theory states that diseases are caused by the presence and

actions of specific micro-organisms.

The theory was developed and gained gradual acceptance in Europe

and in the United States from the middle 1800s. It eventually replaced

existing miasma theory of disease and it remains a guiding theory. Antoni

van Leeuwenhoek was surprised when constructing his first simple

microscope in 1677 when he saw tiny organism in the droplets of water he is

examining which he calls animalcules.

The observations and actions of Ignaz Semmelweis, Joseph Lister

and John Snow would retrospectively be acknowledged as contributing to

the acceptance of germ theory. But it was the laboratory researches of Louis

Pasteur in the 1860s and then Robert Koch in the following decades that

provided the scientific proof for germ theory. Their work opened the door to

research into the identification of disease-causing germs.

This theory is related to food safety by the means of foodborne illness,

which is caused by consuming contaminated food. Contamination occurs

when a micro-organism is present in the food. The researcher can infer that
with the implementation of food safety, there is a probability that the

upcoming presence of micro-organism in a food can be anticipated, thus

Germ theory is significant to this study.

Conditioned Taste Aversion, also known as Garcia Effect is another

theory that supports this study. Conditioned Taste Aversion occurs when a

subject associates the taste of a certain food with symptoms caused by a

toxic, spoiled or poisonous substance. Taste aversion is caused after

ingestion of the food that causes nausea, sickness or vomiting.

The ability to develop a taste aversion is considered an adaptive trait

or survival mechanism that trains the body to avoid poisonous substances

before they can cause harm. This association is meant to prevent the

consumption of the same substance in the future, thus avoiding further

poisoning. However, conditioned taste aversion sometimes occurs in

subjects when sickness was merely coincidental and not related to the food.

It is debated as to whether the effect is biological or psychological.

Stimulus generalization is another learning phenomenon that can be

illustrated by Conditioned Taste Aversion. This phenomenon demonstrates

that a person tends to develop aversions even to types of food that resemble

the foods which cause him illness. For example, if a person eats an orange
and gets poisoned, he might also avoid eating tangerines because they look

similar to oranges, and might lead him to think that they are also dangerous.

When a customer eats unsafe food and gets poisoned, he may find that

food aversive. But with the implementation of Food Safety there is a chance

to prevent it, Hence Conditioned Taste Aversion is related to this study

(Garcia 1966).

Another theory that supports this study is the Miasma theory. Miasma

theory states that diseases are caused by the presence in the air of a miasma,

a poisonous vapour in which suspended particles of decaying matter was

characterized by its foul smell.

In 19th-century England the miasma theory made sense to the sanitary

reformers. Rapid industrialisation and urbanisation had created many poor,

filthy and foul-smelling city neighbourhoods that tended to be the focal

points of disease and epidemics. By improving the housing, sanitation and

general cleanliness of these existing areas, levels of disease were seen to fall,

an observation that lent weight to the theory.

Although miasma theory had been disproved and rejected its existence

has its worth. By removing the causes of bad smells, reformers often

unintentionally removed bacteria, the real cause of diseases.

 This theory has a significant relation with Sanitation by the means of

Waste Management Disposal. With Waste Management Disposal, the

possibility of producing miasma can be prevented

(broughttolife.sciencemusuem.org.uk).

Republic Act (RA) No. 1061, also known as “Food Safety Act of

2013” defines food as any substance or product whether processed, partially

processed or unprocessed that is intended for human consumption. It

includes drinks, water, meat and other substances, which are intentionally

incorporated into the food during its manufacture, preparation and treatment.

On the other hand, food safety refers to the assurance that food will not

cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared or eaten according to its

intended use (ap.fftc.agnet.org).

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is an

internationally recognized method of identifying and managing food safety

related risk and, when central to an active food safety program, can provide

your customers, the public, and regulatory agencies assurance that a food

safety program is well managed. HACCP is a management system in which

food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological,

chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement

and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished

product.

A food safety program, however, does not just stop with HACCP. To

be effective, prerequisite programs such as pest control, traceability & recall,

hygiene and sanitation need to be developed and implemented. Additionally,

the issue of ensuring that suppliers and distributors also have a food safety

program needs to be addressed through development of ingredient

specifications and a vendor assurance system.

Proper implementation of a HACCP program helps reduce the

likelihood of customer complaints or a recall by identifying and controlling

potential hazards which may come from raw materials, facility processes,

and human error. The greater employee awareness that results from a

HACCP program helps to drive continual improvement of a company’s

products and processes (safefoodalliance.com).

Perhaps no food process has been researched and reviewed more than

food irradiation. The scientific basis and mechanisms of food irradiation are

as thoroughly understood by the scientific community and regulatory

agencies as traditional food processes. While irradiation provides many

benefits, it cannot replace proper food handling as the single most critical
food safety measure. Irradiation does not prevent contamination but it

controls it (Crawford & Ruff 1996).

Guarding the safety of a nation's food supply, ensuring quality, and

providing information to consumers so that they can make informed food

purchase choices are widely accepted as universal obligations of

governments. But differences in the way that governments fulfill these

obligations can lead to trade conflicts. The potential for such conflicts

increases as more affluent and safety-conscious consumers demand

additional regulations in the national food systems. Governments should

handle these conflicts in a way that both uphold food safety standards

(Josling et al., 2004).

Dundes and Swann (2008) suggested that employees' training and

supervisions require more attention to safety procedures.

It indicates that different attitudes do not necessarily lead to

behaviours that increase the safety of the food consumed. It can be

concluded that there exists the need for professional assistance for

consumers regarding food safety issues (Wilcock et al., 2004).

 Educational intervention should emphasize the importance of

temperature control and sanitation rather than taste to determine safety

(Bruhn & Schutz, 1999).

Annor and Baiden (2011) concluded that the food hygiene knowledge

and attitudes of the food handlers did not result in efficient food hygiene

practices.

Bolton et al. (2008) suggested that restaurant head chefs/catering

managers have a fundamental knowledge of some aspects of food safety and

food safety practice, significant gaps remain, posing real risks to consumer

health.

Osaili et al. (2013) suggested adopting proper food safety education

training courses to food handlers, periodic evaluation of food handlers'

knowledge and food safety training course materials and better pay for food

handlers would improve the food safety status in foodservice institutions.

Hertzman and Barrash (2007) found that employees were most

knowledgeable about personal hygiene, but did not practice proper hygiene

during the catering functions.

 Redmond and Griffith (2004) suggested that consideration of such

judgements and associations during the development of future consumer

food safety risk communication strategies may increase their effectiveness.

Magnitude and duration of the impact of food safety events on firm

value and contributes to the hospitality literature by extending the

knowledge of the impact of food safety events and its practical implications

for effective crisis management strategies for food-related firms (Seo et al.,

2013).

A substantial number of consumers think about food safety in general

and particularly when eating at restaurant establishments; and while a

majority of consumers stated that restaurants were doing a good job, were

capable, and were committed to food safety (Knight et al., 2007).

Lee and Hedberg (2016) concluded that the agent and food item

pairing and route of transmission must be taken into consideration to

improve our understanding of the relationship between inspection results and

the risk of foodborne illness in restaurants.

Kibret and Abera (2012) revealed poor sanitary conditions and poor

food hygiene practices of handlers. Educational programs targeted at

improving the attitude of food handlers and licensing and regular inspections

have been recommended.

Risky food preparation practices were commonly reported. This study

provides valuable information concerning the prevalence of food preparation

practices and factors that may impact those practices (Green et al., 2005).

Park et al. (2010) recommended that the more job-specific and hand-

on training materials for restaurant employees should be developed and

more continuous implementation of the food safety training and integration

of employee appraisal program with the outcome of safety training were

needed.

Ko (2013) found correlations among knowledge, attitude, and

HACCP practices, with attitude mediating the relationship between

knowledge and HACCP practices.

Powell et al. (2011) demonstrated that creating a culture of food safety

requires application of the best science with the best management and

communication systems, including compelling, rapid, relevant, reliable and

repeated food safety messages using multiple media.

Loader and Hobbs (1999) concluded that food safety legislation is

different, and often requires very swift strategic actions to be effective.

 Jeon et al. (2015) showed that the respondents were well aware of the

importance of sanitation during food preparation and cooking whereas they

had a relatively lack of personal hygiene.

Motarjemi and Käferstein (1999) presented the reasons for the

increase in foodborne diseases, the role that the HACCP system plays in

preventing foodborne diseases, the determinants of its success and failure,

and the contribution which can reasonably be expected from the

implementation of the HACCP system to public health.

Sneed et al. (2004) developed prerequisite programs, including

sanitation standard operating procedures, will aid assisted-living facilities in

moving toward HACCP program implementation.

De Oliveira et al. (2016) presented a comprehensive description of the

HACCP principles and practices, taking into account their positive impact as

important safety strategies in the food industry and the barriers to its

implementation.

Bai et al. (2019) demonstrated a need for better education to create

discerning consumers to expel those that fail to deliver safe food.

Restaurants can rely on the results to develop effective marketing

communication to match the consumers’ decision attributes.

 Kim et al. (2014) found that food service facilities for children had a

significantly positive effect on status of hygiene and safety practice regardless of

foodservice facility size.

Grappasonni et al. (2013) suggested that personnel are aware of the

right steps of health protection in terms of food hygiene, but does not

understand why it is necessary.

Flake and Patterson (1999) incorporated a measure on food safety

with a measure on health information in a meat demand system. Beef safety

information is found to have a modest impact on beef demand, but is

dominated by health information.

The food safety and sanitation practices of the restaurant meets most

of the standard needed by a restaurant to be rated as very good. It was

recommended that the management continue providing good service to its

customers and continue its practices on food and safety sanitation (Cunanan

et al., 2011).

Cantalejo and Dinulos (2011) presented to check the actual food

storing and food handling and preparation of the bar with regard to food

safety and sanitation practices.

 Aquino et al. (2011) recommended that the supervisor should closely

monitor the practices of the staff particularly in their personal hygiene and

wearing of proper uniform. There should also be a series of trainings for the

staff on improved food safety practices.

Centeno et al. (2011) found out that the existing food safety and

sanitation practices of restaurant as well as its storage management and food

handling and preparation had an average compliance to the standards set by

the DOH since they were all rated good.

Reyes et al. (2011) showed that the actual practices on food safety and

sanitation of catering service had an overall rating of very good on food

receiving, excellent on food storage, and good in food production.

These theories and related studies support the notion that there is a

need to conduct this study and provide answers to the question why the

problem under study exists. At the same time, these serve as the foundation

of this research. Furthermore, the related studies serve as a guide to the

researchers in formulating the research questionnaire.

 THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem

This study assessed the food safety and sanitation of the identified

Restaurants at Oslob, Cebu.

Specifically, it sought to answer the following problem:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 gender;

1.3 position;

1.4 length of service; and

1.5 highest educational attainment?

2. To what extent is the implementation of food safety of the

respondents in restaurants?

3. To what extent is the implementation of sanitary practices of the

respondents in restaurants?

4. Is there a significant difference between the Food Safety and

Sanitary practices of the respondents?

5. Based from the findings of the study, what action plan may be

proposed?
Statement of the Null Hypothesis

HO1: There is no significant difference between the food safety and

sanitary practices of the respondents.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study will benefit the following:

Hospitality Management Students. This study will help the students

to be aware and do adjustments during their laboratory class. It will also

serve as added knowledge to students. This study will make the students be

disciplined and trained on how to implement food safety and sanitation.

Hospitality Management Instructor. This study will help them

identify and assess their selves if they are an effective teacher. It will also

help them to figure out what are the things they will implement and practice

in the future.

Employees. This study will help them be aware of the practices of

Food Safety and Sanitation.it will also help them realize that they need to be

precise in terms of staff hygiene.

 Residents/ Tourists. This study will help them gain knowledge about

Food Safety and Sanitation and make them realize how important it is. It

will also help them to choose carefully on which food service they will eat.

Food Service Industry. This study will help the food service industry

to increase their credibility and profit because they have the capabilities of

saving safe food.

Future Researchers. This will serve as a guide and reference in order

to gather information about the research study of food safety and sanitation.
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Food Safety and Sanitation in Identified Restaurants

Gary Dan Allosada

Er Jazziel Bustillo

Lorelyn Cadungog
Keith Joshua dela Cruz