Risco de contaminação de alimentos em food trucks, segundo conhecimentos, atitudes e práticas autorreferidas de segurança alimentar de manipuladores de alimentos

Abstract

Today, food trucks play a significant role in the food trade in Maceió. Despite this, there are no studies that evaluate good practices in food production in these spaces. Considering the crucial role of food handlers in ensuring the supply of safe food, the objective was to assess the risk of food contamination in food trucks, according to the handlers' knowledge, attitudes and self-reported food safety practices. This is an excerpt from the research “Good practices in food handling in food trucks in Maceió, Alagoas”, carried out from January to March 2021, in 25 food trucks. For the present study, socioeconomic and demographic data of handlers and knowledge (n=10), attitudes (n=10) and self-reported practices (n=10) of food safety were used, which were obtained through a questionnaire validated by Auad et al. (2019), where each correct question was equivalent to 1 (one) point. A score ≤6 for knowledge or ≤5 for attitudes or ≤6 for self-reported practices was considered high risk of contamination. Data were tabulated in Microsoft Office Excel 2013 and descriptively analyzed in SPSS version 13.0. The results were presented in the form of tables with their respective absolute and relative frequencies. The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Alagoas (CAAE: 31115420.8.0000.5013). 25 handlers participated. Most were female (56%), aged <45 years (76%), had completed elementary/high school (52%) and received 1 to 2 minimum wages (56%). Participation in good practice training was reported by 64%. More than half believed that “foods unfit for consumption always present organoleptic changes” and that “well-cooked foods are free of microbes”. Defrosting food incorrectly and talking while handling it was reported by 60% and 72%, respectively. 60% of food trucks were classified as high risk of contamination. It can be seen, then, that the food handlers of the food trucks in Maceió were, for the most part, low-income women, who had not completed basic education. The assessment of knowledge, attitudes and self-reported food safety practices showed a high risk of food contamination. It is therefore necessary that corrective measures be adopted for the non-conformities found, with a view to the production of safe food, and that these handlers be trained in good practices.