Food safety and hygiene practices associated with the national school nutrition programme amongst quintile 1-3 schools in Welkom, South Africa

Abstract

Poverty is defined as the inability of people to obtain adequate resources measured in calories or nutrition to support a minimum level of physical health, resulting in malnutrition. The consequences of poor nutrition during foetal development and in early childhood cause severe and irreversible mental and physical damage. In 1994, to alleviate poverty conditions, the schools nutrition programme was initiated in South Africa. Later in 2006 after a survey was conducted, it was decided that an expansion to high schools was deemed necessary. Upon its expansion in 2009 to high schools, the PSNP was renamed and became known as the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). A pro-poor funding model has been applied to fund public education in this system of governance; the schools are classified based on the level of poverty in their surrounding areas and infrastructure. Since its inception, inadequate storage facilities whereby the foodstuffs are stored directly on the floor, in humid environments and in other cases in areas/rooms that are not rodent proof to prevent pests such as ants, rats from gaining access and unsuitable meal preparation have emerged as challenges and concern in the NSNP. Lack of infrastructure resulted in foodstuffs being stored in bookstores, classrooms turned into kitchens and the like. Schools participating in the NSNP have limited provision for dining facilities and in other cases, the learners have to eat outside without any supervision - a scenario that exposes the food to contamination from environmental factors. The vulnerability of the individuals depending on the food, such as age and health status, emphasizes the fact that the food is of good microbial quality and that food safety must be a priority.

Microbial contamination is associated with many foodborne outbreaks around the world. In South Africa, the individuals that are employed to do the catering for the NSNP are mostly women from the surrounding area, closer to the school or parents to a child/children attending a specific school. In most cases, these women have only limited knowledge of food safety and hygiene which they acquired from one generation to the other and through their experiences growing up. Episodes of microbial contamination occur mostly via cross-contamination, where the microbes on the food contact surfaces get transmitted to the hands of a food handler and eventually, the food or vice versa, this triggers food-borne pathogens to multiply and cause illnesses and in some instances may escalate to foodborne outbreaks. As mentioned, control of food-borne pathogens is a major challenge in a setting such as the NSNP, where food is served by a variety of people with different hygiene practices, beliefs and to a large group of people. Good personal hygiene and proper food handling practices can minimise the transfer of pathogenic microorganisms between the food, food contact surfaces and consumers. In the last decade, the food safety fraternity has evolved tremendously whereby authors have shifted the focus from a formal and technical-orientated Food Safety Management System (FSMS) to a more human dimension of food safety such as food safety culture and food safety climate. The overarching aim of this study was to evaluate hygiene practices and to investigate the microbial composition of the foodstuffs associated with the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP). To achieve this an inspection checklist was used to assess the hygienic status of the food preparation area. The results indicated that the kitchens vary notably from one school to another, and the issues of hygiene observed were mostly contributed to lack of equipment, infrastructure and the limited knowledge of the food handlers. Various food samples were analysed for the presence of hygiene indicator organisms including Staphylococcus species (indicator of human contact and activity), Listeria species (indicator of presumptive mesophilic, environmental pathogens) and Total Coliforms (indicator of sanitary hygiene). Twenty-eight percent of all food samples collected, were positive for Staphylococcus spp and 59% for Total Coliforms. Also, the hands of the food handlers indicated 63% detection of Staphylococcus spp. and 50% for Total Coliforms. Food contact surfaces showed 50% for Staphylococcus spp., 56% for Total Coliforms and 50% presumptive Listeria spp. The results obtained from the microbiological quality of municipal water indicated that the water stored in the buckets had a higher Total Coliform count as opposed to water coming from the tap. Statistical analyses did not show a statistical significance (p = 0,425 > 0,05) between Total Coliform from water collected from the tap vs water from the bucket, suggesting that the water quality was likely affected during storage and not during collection. To assist the schools in establishing and implementing food safety prerequisite programmes (PRP’s) and ensuring that they achieve acceptable hygiene statuses, the WHO “5 Keys to Safer Food” posters were distributed and presented comprehensively, to ensure food handlers and beneficiaries fully understand their role and responsibilities concerning food safety during food handling, preparation and serving. Re-assessing of the schools after a set period, to determine the effectiveness of the interventions, are recommended.