Food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among food handlers in collective catering in central Morocco.

Food safety is a significant challenge for countries worldwide due to the growing number of food poisoning outbreaks, particularly in the catering sector, which impacts consumer health and imposes additional economic costs on countries. The role of food handlers in restaurants is crucial for guaranteeing this safety and protecting the health of citizens. This pioneering study in central Morocco aimed to assess food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) among food handlers and to identify key factors influencing adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and effective practices. A cross-sectional study was conducted among food handlers in restaurants in Fez prefecture in central Morocco between July 2021 and January 2022 using a questionnaire survey. The results revealed that the 282 food handlers included in this study exhibited moderate levels of knowledge (65.31 %) and practices (62.91 %), and a high level of attitudes (75.61 %) towards food safety. A moderate positive correlation was observed between knowledge and practices (r = 0.291, p < 0.05), as well as between attitudes and practices (r = 0.327, p < 0.05). The most significant positive correlation was between knowledge and attitudes (r = 0.907, p < 0.05). Moreover, professional experience and age significantly influenced the level of knowledge; the nature of job and work experience influenced attitudes; gender, education level, nature of work, and marital status influenced the level of practices; and training impacted them all. Nevertheless, those surveyed have knowledge gaps, particularly about cross-contamination, personal hygiene, time and temperature control, especially the temperature danger zone (between 40 °F and 140 °F), and thawing. Training programmes that emphasize these dimensions of food safety need to be implemented. The findings of this study, carried out for the first time in Fez, will provide a solid basis for further research. They will also assist responsible authorities in better understanding food safety in Morocco by selectively planning food safety training based on KAPs to prevent food poisoning and protect consumer health.