Training and education may
be an effective tool to increase food safety knowledge and awareness
of hygiene among food handlers and thus improve food safety
practices (Gillespie, Little, & Mitchell, 2000). Nevertheless, more
knowledge does not always lead to positive changes in food
handling behaviors (Ansari-Lari, Soodbakhsh, & Lakzadeh, 2010;
Kassa, 2001). Our finding are in agreement with these observations.
Many of the food handlers (65.2%) were not aware of the
importance of basic temperature control requirements in controlling
microbial growth in food and it is well known that if temperature
controls are inadequately performed will lead to the
proliferation of microbial hazards and thereafter food borne diseases
(Adams & Moss, 2008; WHO, 2006). This result is supported
by the findings of Bas et al. (2006) who stated that many of their
respondents lacked of knowledge about critical temperatures for
foods, acceptable refrigerator temperature ranges and crosscontamination