Food healthy knowledge, attitudes and practices: Survey of the general public and food handlers

Modifying the energy content of foods, particularly foods eaten away from home, is important in addressing the obesity epidemic. Food handlers in the restaurant industry are uniquely placed to influence the provision of reduced-calorie foods, but little is known about their opinions on this issue. The objectives of the present study were to determine the general public and food handlers׳ knowledge and opinions, issues and barriers related to providing these items on the menu, and about the influence of the calorie content of restaurant items on customer intake. The food handlers surveyed had a significantly lower food science knowledge score than the general public. There was significant difference between the scores of food handlers and general public (t=3.5108, df=177.743, P-value=0.0005). The majority of respondents ranked taste as the most influential factor in the success of reduced-calorie items (p<0.0028). The results of this survey indicate that opportunities exist for reducing the energy content of restaurant items. Ongoing collaboration is needed between food handlers and public health professionals to ensure that appealing reduced-calorie menu items are more widely available in restaurants and that research is directed towards effective ways to develop and promote these items.