Food Legislation Compliance and Safe Food Provision for Sustainability by Unclassified Restaurants Nairobi City County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2300Abstract
Food safety legislation aims to ensure food is protected from contamination and disease spread. However, in Nairobi City County, unclassified small-scale restaurants often fail to fully implement legislative directives around safe food handling. This study aimed to determine how compliance with food safety legislation affects the sustainability of safe food provision in these establishments.Guided by the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) framework, the research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data for a comprehensive analysis. The target population was 124 unclassified restaurants in Nairobi's Central Business District. A sample of 189 participants, including restaurant managers, supervisors, cooks, and waiters, was selected through stratified random sampling.Data collection involved semi-structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and observation checklists. Analysis utilized descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and thematic content analysis. The descriptive results revealed that the majority of unclassified restaurants in Nairobi City County do not adhere to operational food safety procedures, with only 34.4% observing them. Compliance with food safety legislation, such as licensing by the Department of Public Health and the Food, Drugs and Substance Act, is also lacking, with over 60% of restaurants non-compliant.The descriptive results further showed that most restaurants lack adequate food safety surveillance and verification procedures to ensure adherence to food handling procedures. Observational checklists revealed that essential food safety compliance items like valid licenses, food safety evaluation reports, and HACCP certifications were often absent.The chi-square test demonstrated a significant association between food legislation compliance and the provision of safe food, with a chi-square of 4.544 and a p-value of .025. The study concludes that compliance with food safety legislation is crucial for ensuring the provision of safe food in unclassified restaurants in Nairobi City County. The lack of adherence to food safety regulations and procedures significantly impacts the safety of food provided in these establishments. Effective monitoring and enforcement of food safety standards by relevant agencies, such as the Department of Public Health, are essential for improving food safety in the hotel industry.
Keywords: Food Legislation Compliance, Safe Food Provision, Sustainability, Unclassified, Restaurants
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