Food hygiene training: Introducing the Food Hygiene Training Model

For many years social cognition models and workplace health education theories have been used to map out the variables and identify determinants of various health-related behaviours, including hand hygiene practice, food handling and the use of food thermometers. Whilst many models and theoretical frameworks identify specific determinants or variables of behaviour and organisational interactions this paper takes a holistic approach to food hygiene training and proposes a new theoretical framework. This framework (The Food Hygiene Training Model) encompasses and utilises various theoretical models and educational theories to recognise the various influences on the training, beliefs, motivations, and conditions required for food handlers to perform safe food handling practices in the workplace. Effective food hygiene training and the enactment of safe food handling practices learnt during training are critical elements in the control of food-borne illnesses throughout the world. Therefore, future food hygiene training strategies, if they are to be effective, should consider the adoption of the Food Hygiene Training Model, to aide overall improvements in food businesses, and thus, an overall reduction of food-borne illnesses.