Consumers' perception of food-borne diseases

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate, through a questionnaire, the perception of consumers who eat outside the home in relation to the dangers of diseases transmitted by food. This work also aimed to obtain data that can be used in the elaboration of an educational plan, aiming at aspects of disease prevention and improvements in the population's health. The questionnaire obtained a total of 1515 responses, in which most consumers were characterized by medium education (27.3%) or higher education (29.5%), aged between 18-29 years (52.3%) and singles (57.8%). In a more specific investigation, people routinely eat in restaurants (64.5%) and choose the establishment mainly due to cleanliness and service (95.1%). Most respondents consumed meat (96.7%), especially beef (30.1%), although consumers considered fish healthier (58.5%). Regarding the understanding of diseases transmitted by food, 91.1% of them have believed that meat can transmit diseases, thus being pork the most associated with this problem (89%). They also considered vegetables and / or legumes (89%), water (85.7%) and organic foods (71.4%) as possible transmitters of diseases. Salmonellosis (90.5%) is considered the most important diseases transmitted by food and 99.1% understood that food can be contaminated by the food handlers. They have also believed that vegetables and fruits may contain pesticides (98.7%) and antibiotics residue in foods of animal origin (86.1%). It could be inferred that there is a need to create a strategic educational plan to better understand consumers about food outside the home environment.

Keywords:
Questionnaire; Food safety; Consumers; Meals; Public health; Salmonella; Food; Restaurant; Contamination