A research on the practice of food preparation, cooking, storage, and presentation of women of different socio-economic levels living in Mersin central district

In this study; The food preparation, cooking, storage, and serving practices of women from different socio-economic levels residing in Mersin Central districts who agreed to participate in the study were examined. In the determination of these applications, questionnaire forms prepared in accordance with the purpose based on the information obtained as a result of the literature review were used. The answers given by the female participants selected by the random sampling method to the survey questions were evaluated as data. The age of the women participating in the survey was 35.17±11.25, and 38.2% were housewives and 40.5% were university graduates. It was seen that the lowest level of knowledge about hand hygiene of the participants was related to the use of hand sanitizer. It was seen that 16.6% washed the eggs before storing, 36% used cracked, and broken eggs in meals, 11.4% used sprouted vegetables in meals, and 51% used moldy foods. It was observed that 43.8% used the products (cans, cheese, ayran, etc.) that were blown and bulged, 64.6% chopped another product on the same chopping board on which they chopped raw meat. And also it was found that 27.1% reused the frozen products after thawing, 70.8% thawed the frozen product at room temperature. It was determined that 25.5% of the participants who bought raw milk applied the boiling process for 2-5 minutes when the milk started to boil, and 8.5% carry on the boiling process for 20 minutes. 47.5% of the participants stated that they do not reuse frying oil. Besides, 88.5% of the participants use cookware made of steel materials, but unfortunately, 38.2% of them use the same spoon, ladle, etc, which used in cooking for controlling the taste. In addition, the rate of family members eating from a single bowl, plate, etc. was found 14.9%. In the application of reheating the cooked products, 85.8% of the cooked products are processed at a temperature that can be consumed, while the rate of heating above the cooking temperature is seen at 14.2%. This rate was found to be statistically significant. As a result, it has been observed that the socio-demographic and economic characteristics of individuals cause differences in the stages of food purchasing, preservation, cooking, and serving.