Restaurant business operators' knowledge of food hygiene and their attitudes toward official food control affect the hygiene in their restaurants

- Hygiene in restaurants if affected by knowledge and attitudes of the operators.
- Officials should emphasize good cooperation and negotiative approach.
- Solid justification of given remarks and used control measures is highly important.
- Guidance given by the officials is significant for appreciation of official control.
- Inspection reports are considered very important in developing restaurant operations.

We surveyed the knowledge and attitudes of restaurant business operators (RBOs) with respect to their restaurants' hygiene. A total of 82 RBOs were interviewed and a hygiene evaluation was performed in each of the restaurants by one researcher. Fifty-six food control officials responded to an electronic questionnaire. Based on our results, positive correlations exist between hygiene knowledge of the RBOs, their attitudes toward food hygiene and official food control, and their restaurants' hygiene level. Proper justification of control measures used by food control officials and a negotiative approach appear to be highly important for improving restaurant hygiene.