FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE PRACTICES IN LOCAL MARKETS IN BENIN CITY

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to examine the impact of food safety and hygiene practices in local markets in Benin City. three research questions were raised and analysed for the study. The descriptive cross-sectional study design was used for this study. The population for this study was a sample size of 150 food market traders from three local markets in Benin City. The instrument used for the study was a questionnaire designed by the researcher. The researcher supervisor and two experts from the Department of Health, Safety and Environmental Education, validated the questionnaire. Their corrections and observation helped produce the final copy of the instrument. The reliability of the instrument was established using the test-retest method. The researcher administered the instrument and the data collected was subjected to descriptive statistics. The findings of the study are as follows, the majority of the respondents have a high level of knowledge regarding food safety principles, including the identification and prevention of foodborne illnesses, and the majority of the respondents responded that the prevailing sanitation condition of the market is poor. the majority of the respondents responded that the regulatory framework for compliance with food safety policy was ineffective, the majority of the respondents had a good attitude towards food safety, the researcher made recommendations to improve the safety and hygiene conditions in the markets.