Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and hygienic practices of meat handlers towards food safety working in Arbaminch town public food service establishments, Southern Ethiopia

Proper food safety is vital to human health, but inadequate measures can have serious repercussions for people’s well-being globally. In the study area, there is a scarcity of up-to-date information on food safety and the sanitary practices of meat handlers. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and hygienic practices of meat handlers towards food safety in public food service establishments in Arbaminch town, Southern Ethiopia. Cross-sectional study was performed from January to June 2024. A total of 60 public food establishments and 309 meat handlers were randomly selected. Data was gathered using structured questionnaire and presented through face to face interviews. The data were inputted into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using SPSS (version 20, IBM). A chi-square test assessed the association between risk factors and meat handling challenges. In this study, 61.2 % of meat handlers had a satisfactory level of knowledge; 59.5 % displayed good attitudes, and 62.1 % adhered to proper hygienic practices. Results of a chi-square analysis indicate that job type, training, work experience, educational level, and marital status have a significant variation with food safety knowledge (P < 0.05), while age and work experience have a significant relationship with food safety attitudes (P < 0.05) and job type and employment status have a significant relationship with food safety practices (P < 0.05). These findings highlight the need for targeted training to improve meat hygiene and food safety in Arbaminch, reducing contamination risks. Health professionals should provide ongoing education, training and oversight for meat handlers to ensure food safety.