Raw Meat Consumption and Food Safety Challenges: A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Consumers in Lebanon.
Foods
; 13(1)2023 Dec 29.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38201146
ABSTRACT
A key contributor to foodborne illnesses is consuming contaminated ready-to-eat foods, including raw meats. The latter is a common practice in Lebanon, a country that suffers from widespread pollution and food safety challenges. However, studies on the safety of raw meat consumption in Lebanon are limited. In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of the Lebanese population toward the potential risk associated with the consumption of raw meats, and to identify factors that affect KAP levels. An online survey (n = 577) was administered to Lebanese adults aged 18 years and above to assess their KAPs. The results showed that 74.5% of the participants consumed raw meat, 44% had good food safety knowledge, and 30.7% exhibited good practices. However, more than half of the participants (61.9%) showed a positive attitude toward food safety. There was a significant association between knowledge and attitude (p < 0.001), attitude and practices (p < 0.001), and knowledge and practices (p < 0.001), thereby indicating that an increase in food safety education could translate into better practices in this population. Accordingly, efforts to enhance education on food safety are warranted to reduce the potential risk of food poisoning associated with raw meat consumption in Lebanon.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2023
Tipo de documento:
Article