DETERMINING THE LEVEL OF FOOD SAFETY AWARENESS AMONG FOOD PROFESSIONALS: A CASE STUDY OF TURKEY AND NIGERIA

In this study, 284 food professionals including chefs and students of food science-related courses were surveyed to determine their level of business regarding allergens in foods and food safety in general were determined through questionnaire survey. A questionnaire comprising of 19 questions covering specific food safety issues and allergens in foods were used to collect information for the study through face to face interviews. Interviews were conducted for 284 people in Nigeria and Turkey. One hundred and ninety-five (68.7 %) of the respondents were from Turkey whereas 89 (31.3 %) were from Nigeria. Out of the 68.7% respondents from Turkey; 68.7% were students and 31.3% were chefs. The 31.3 % respondents from Nigeria were 33.7% students and 66.3% chefs. The result of the study indicated that the findings of scientific studies on food safety have not been directly applied by the people working in the food sector. Additionally, the knowledge level of the gastronomy and culinary arts students on food safety and allergens are higher than the restaurant chefs that prepare foods for the consumers. The restaurant as a significant part of the food chain industry must be well-prepared to face an increasing number of clients with food allergies.

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