Knowledge, Attitude, Behavior, and Practices Related to Food Safety and Standards Among Production and Processing Level Stakeholders Across the Food Supply Chain in India

Abstract

Access to safe and nutritious food is key to promoting health and well-being. Globally, one in 10 people fall ill after eating contaminated food, resulting in a global annual burden of 33 million disability-adjusted life years. A pan India cross-sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude, behavior and practices (KABP) on food safety norms and standards of three important stakeholder groups at food production and processing levels viz. (1) food service establishment owners/managers (n = 260), (2) food handlers (n = 221), and (3) street food vendors (n = 115). Findings across all stakeholders indicated that food safety training and years of work experience were significantly associated with higher knowledge and combined KABP scores (p-value < 0.001). However, the majority of owners/managers (52%) lacked knowledge on food outlet specific infrastructural recommendations. Their staff were also not being trained on food safety and hygiene, since such training was currently not part of statutory requirements for running food outlets. Food handlers including street food vendors, despite adequate knowledge, exhibited limited compliance with food safety practices. These findings reflect the need for stronger focus on capacity building of production- and processing-level stakeholders to enable better adherence to food safety norms and guidelines in India. A renewed focus on mandatory training of stakeholders through institutional mechanisms and targeted interventions will improve KABP related to food safety norms and standards and deliver incremental health benefits. Further, FSSAI's digital platforms can be better leveraged to share relevant information in easy-to-digest capsules to improve uptake including among stakeholders with lower literacy levels.