DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2019.v06i01.004

Pages: 26-33

The sanitary conditions of restaurants and food handling practices if not addressed with seriousness in accordance with international standard practices can be a means of transmitting food-borne infections or intoxications to the public. A study was carried out between December, 2017 and January, 2018 to assess the sanitary conditions, food handling practices of food handlers and the microbial quality of food contact surfaces of selected restaurants in Bauchi metropolis. A total of fourteen (14) restaurants were randomly selected, seven (7) registered with the appropriate authority while seven (7) not unregistered ones. One hundred (100) pre-tested structured questionnaires were equally administered to randomly selected staff of the restaurants. Thirty (30) swab samples of food contact surfaces (spoons and plates) were collected, packed on ice pack and transported to the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) diagnostic laboratory, Bauchi office for analysis. Results of the study showed that majority of the food handlers (n=37; 75.5%) in the registered restaurants were aged 21–35 years, and (n=35; 71.4%) have attained tertiary education while majority (n=38; 77.5%) of the respondents have worked for 1–10 years. While in the non-registered restaurants majority of the food handlers (n=36; 73.5%) were aged 21–35 years, and (n=25; 51.0%) have attained tertiary education and (n=36; 73.5%) of the respondents have worked for 1–10 years. The sanitation and personnel hygiene of most restaurants were observed to be 100% effective with good toilet facilities available. It was also observed that 49.0% of the female workers covers their hairs, 83.7% wears gowns during operations while 59.2% trim their finger nails on weekly basis.