Determination of the hygiene status of the kitchens of public hospitals and the food safety knowledge levels and behaviors of the kitchen staff: The case of Bingöl province

This study aimed to assess the food safety knowledge, hygiene practices, and hygiene conditions of kitchen personnel working in two different public hospitals in Bingöl province, Turkey. Additionally, the instantaneous hygiene status of personnel's hands, work clothing, and kitchen equipment was examined using a colorimetric hygiene test kit. A survey consisting of 56 questions covering demographic characteristics, hygiene training, personnel hygiene and behavior, food hygiene and safety, and health status was applied to all personnel during face-to-face interviews. Statistical analyzes of the data obtained as a result of the survey were conducted using the SPSS 29.0.2.0 (20) program, frequency (f), percentage (%), arithmetic mean (χ) and standard deviation (Sx) values were calculated, Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis H tests have been done. The value of p<0.05 was taken as basis in determining the significance of the data results. According to the survey results, it was determined that 80% of the participants were male, 50% had been working in the hospital kitchen for more than 10 years, 55% learned their job from the master at work, 37.5% were higher education graduates and most of them worked full time. However, a statistically significant difference was detected between the title of the kitchen staff, the length of time they worked in the kitchen department, and having previously worked in the food industry (p<0.05). A statistically significant difference was found between having received hygiene training, the subjects on which hygiene training was received, the institution where hygiene training was received, the frequency of receiving hygiene training, and the food hygiene and safety knowledge and behavior level of the personnel (p<0.05). According to the results of the hygiene test kit, it was determined that the staff's hands and clothes were clean and they paid attention to their personal hygiene.