KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES OF PEOPLE LIVING IN TÜRKIYE ABOUT FOOD SAFETY AND FOOD HYGIENE

The term "food" encompasses all forms of substances, whether processed, partiallyprocessed, or unprocessed, which are consumed and expected to be consumed byhumans. Food is one of the most fundamental requirements for human life, and itmust be consistently available. Furthermore, accessibility and safety are ofparamount importance with regard to food. The term "food safety" is defined as theprevention of contamination of raw materials from biological, chemical, and physicalhazards throughout the entire process, from production to transport, storage, distribution, preparation, and cooking. In this sense, a food product that has beenpurified of all contaminants and preserved from spoilage is regarded as safe food. The present study investigates the level of awareness and attitudes of individuals withdifferent age, gender and educational backgrounds living in different regions of ourcountry on food safety and food hygiene. The findings of these studies indicate thatprice is a primary consideration when purchasing food in rural areas, whereas inurban areas, where socio-economic conditions are more favourable, quality andsafety are the predominant factors. It was observed that the knowledge and attitudesof women and men regarding food safety and food hygiene were largely similar, although women demonstrated greater awareness of the importance of handwashingand equipment cleaning. The findings of the studies indicate that the level ofeducation is directly correlated with the correct knowledge and practices related tofood safety and hygiene. However, the level of education does not appear to be asignificant factor in the development of habits related to food safety and hygiene. Keywords: Food hygiene, food safety, education level, consumer attitude