their hands, 54 (62%) were considered to
have used adequate hand washing. Of the
12 people carrying Listeria spp. on their
hands, only one individual was believed to
have washed the hands adequately. Good
hand washing technique should be emphasized
for food workers, particularly in establishments
where raw food and cooked/
ready-to-eat products are handled.
During this study, it was established that
many food vendors especially those on the
streets did not undergo the annual medical
check up as required by the State Ministry
of health. It is recommended that proper
policing be done because these illegal vendors
did not submit themselves to the required
physical and medical examinations.
Also, there is a need to educate food handlers
on the proper hand washing technique
to prevent cross contamination of pathogens
from food handlers to the food.