Track: Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)

Abstract

Food Park concept started out in the Philippines in 2016 and has conquered the food and beverage industry in the country. Throughout this year, food parks and food trucks alike have sprouted in every corner of the metro. In a report by Manila Times Business, demand for sites for building food parks saw a significant rise in the country, mainly driven by the millennial market (Yu, 2017). However, regulations regarding food safety and hygiene are poorly observed in the food parks. As such, increasing incidence of foodborne diseases and foodborne illnesses were reported. This study therefore aims to evaluate the current food safety practice of food park industry in the country and develop a food safety plan in order to minimize the occurrence of risk for foodborne diseases and illnesses. The study made use of service blueprinting in order to identify the failure points in the food handling process and rubrics-scoring method was used in order to identify indicators in food handling and preparation that contribute to foodborne diseases. Finally, statistical analyses such as analysis of variance and regression analysis were utilized in order to determine significant factors in food handling and preparation that directly contribute to prevalence of foodborne diseases. The factors identified in the study will serve as the basis for the authors to develop a food safety plan for food parks. The food safety plan consists of policies and procedures for food handling and preparation, which consists of personal hygiene of food handler, food hygiene and safety practices, use of materials, and management of leftovers/trash. The findings showed the inadequacy and lapses in the current food safety practices in food parks, showing the relationship of food-borne diseases and its occurrence in different indicators that are common to food service today.