Javed Nargis Begum, Al-Mohaithef Mohammed
Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences Saudi Electronic University Dammam Saudi Arabia.
Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences Saudi Electronic University Riyadh Saudi Arabia.
Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Mar 10;11(6):3246-3254. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.3305. eCollection 2023 Jun.
The Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs is planning to initiate a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system in restaurants and cafeterias to manage issues of food safety in Saudi Arabia. One of the most important elements in the HACCP system is the monitoring temperature of cooked and stored food. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and use of refrigerators/freezers and food thermometers among food handlers in local and international restaurants in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in municipality-licensed restaurants. The temperatures of refrigerator and freezer were checked, and the survey form was completed by the researcher according to logbook entries. We then checked for the presence of a food thermometer, and if a functional thermometer was present, the chef was asked to complete an online questionnaire using Survey Monkey website on a tablet. The response rate of the survey was 68% (238/350 restaurants). We found that 88.1% of restaurants used a thermometer to check the temperature of their refrigerators and freezers. Thirty-one restaurants (13.0%) had a regular temperature-monitoring record available for both the refrigerator and freezer. International restaurants had significantly greater temperature-monitoring data than local restaurants (88.1% vs 63.3%; = .0001). The prevalence of food thermometers in restaurants was 53.4% (127/238 restaurants), with significantly higher prevalence in international restaurants than in local restaurants (96.6% vs 10.8%; = .0001). The practice of using food thermometer "always" when meat turned brown was significantly associated with the chef's age and education level. The study results showed poor monitoring and documentation of refrigerator and freezer temperatures along with a low prevalence of food thermometer use. The study result provides an insight into one of the barriers to the implementation of the HACCP system in Dammam.
沙特市政和农村事务部计划在餐厅和食堂启动危害分析与关键控制点（HACCP）系统，以管理沙特阿拉伯的食品安全问题。HACCP系统中最重要的要素之一是监测烹饪和储存食品的温度。本研究旨在调查沙特达曼当地和国际餐厅食品处理人员中冰箱/冰柜和食品温度计的使用情况及普及程度。在获得市政许可的餐厅进行了一项横断面研究。检查了冰箱和冰柜的温度，研究人员根据日志记录填写调查问卷。然后我们检查了食品温度计的配备情况，如果有可用的功能正常的温度计，会要求厨师使用平板电脑通过Survey Monkey网站完成一份在线问卷。调查的回复率为68%（238/350家餐厅）。我们发现88.1%的餐厅使用温度计检查冰箱和冰柜的温度。31家餐厅（13.0%）有冰箱和冰柜的定期温度监测记录。国际餐厅的温度监测数据明显多于当地餐厅（88.1%对63.3%；=0.0001）。餐厅中食品温度计的普及率为53.4%（127/238家餐厅），国际餐厅的普及率明显高于当地餐厅（96.6%对10.8%；=0.0001）。当肉变色时“总是”使用食品温度计的做法与厨师的年龄和教育水平显著相关。研究结果表明，冰箱和冰柜温度的监测和记录较差，食品温度计的使用率较低。该研究结果揭示了达曼实施HACCP系统的障碍之一。
