- Correlation coefficients of items that evaluate the food safety perceptions and practices of food service staff.
| Statements | Correlation coefficient | P-values |
|---|---|---|
| Correlation coefficients of items that evaluate the food safety perceptions of food service staff | ||
| - Food safety is an important public health issue. | 0.507** | 0.00 |
| - The health status of workers should be evaluated before employment. | 0.697** | 0.00 |
| - There is no problem with allowing my fingernails to grow because wearing gloves prevents germ transmission. | 0.444** | 0.00 |
| - Washing fruits and vegetables reduces the amount of contaminants that lead to food poisoning. | 0.446** | 0.00 |
| - Cleaning and sanitizing all food contact surfaces is important to reduce food poisoning. | 0.520** | 0.00 |
| - Preparing food in advance and holding it without temperature control (namely, between 5-60°C) contributes to food poisoning. | 0.476** | 0.00 |
| - Freezing food kills harmful microbes or germs. | 0.153 | 0.347 |
| - Foods stored at incorrect temperature are considered damaged and must be discarded. | 0.608** | 0.00 |
| - It is unsafe to leave food inside the temperature danger zone (between 5-60°C) for more than 2 hours. | 0.401* | 0.00 |
| - Encoding the colors of cutting boards, equipment, and utensils, reduces cross-contamination.† | 0.738** | 0.00 |
| - Defrosted foods can be refrozen. | 0.408** | 0.00 |
| - Multi-use dishtowels can be a source of food contamination. | 0.564** | 0.00 |
| - Knives and cutting boards should be properly sanitized to prevent cross-contamination. | 0.812** | 0.00 |
| - Food handlers such as chefs and food preparation area workers generally can be a source of foodborne diseases. | 0.595** | 0.00 |
| - Raw and ready-to-eat foods should be stored separately to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. | 0.765** | 0.00 |
| - Wearing masks, gloves, and hair restraints is an important practice to reduce the risk of food contamination. | 0.801** | 0.00 |
| - Practicing good personal hygiene prevents foodborne diseases. | 0.764** | 0.00 |
| - Hand washing prevents foodborne diseases. | 0.787** | 0.00 |
| Correlation coefficients of items that evaluate the perceptions of food safety among food service staff during COVID-19 | ||
| - There is a high risk of transmitting COVID-19 virus through food. | 0.361* | 0.022 |
| - It is necessary to use antibacterial soap when washing hands to prevent COVID-19 virus transmission. | 0.236 | 0.143 |
| - Regular cleaning throughout meal preparation is only needed when there are COVID-19 cases. | 0.714** | 0.000 |
| - During the COVID-19 pandemic, using hand sanitizer should replace washing hands with soap and water. | 0.475** | 0.002 |
| - COVID-19 virus can be transmitted once food containing the virus is touched, even without touching the nose, eyes, and mouth. | 0.854** | 0.000 |
| - Improving hygiene practices is important during the COVID-19 pandemic only. | 0.854** | 0.000 |
| Correlation coefficients of the items that evaluate the food safety practices of food service staff | ||
| - Do you clean your workplace before and after each stage of food preparation? | 0.483** | 0.002 |
| - Do you use the same cutting board to prepare raw and cooked food? | 0.703** | 0.000 |
| - Do you wash your hands before and after using gloves? | 0.270 | 0.092 |
| - Do you wash your hands after coming back from breaks? | 0.342* | 0.031 |
| - Do you wash your hands after handling raw meat, fish, or chicken? | 0.435** | 0.005 |
| - Do you prepare food during lunchtime and leave it until dinnertime? | 0.725** | 0.000 |
| - Do you wear personal protective equipment (PPE), such as an apron, mask, and head covering, when preparing or distributing food? | 0.756** | 0.000 |
| - Do you wear gloves when preparing ready-to-eat food, such as salads and sandwiches? | 0.687** | 0.000 |
| - Do you allow your fingernails to grow long as you use gloves to protect food from the transmission of germs? | 0.490** | 0.001 |
| - Do you measure and record the temperature of refrigerators/freezers at least 3 times per day? | 0.512** | 0.001 |
| - Do you check the internal temperature of food while cooking using a food thermometer? | 0.636** | 0.000 |
| - Do you thaw frozen food by leaving it in the kitchen or submerging it in hot water? | 0.562** | 0.000 |
| - When you finish cooking, do you serve the food immediately? | 0.496** | 0.001 |
| - When you finish cooking, do you cool the food within 6 hours to reach 5°C or less? | -0.278 | 0.083 |
| - When you finish cooking, do you keep the food at the kitchen temperature for more than 2 hours? | 0.600** | 0.000 |
| - When you finish cooking, do you keep hot food in hot boxes (63°C or higher) until serving? | 0.648** | 0.000 |
| - Do you check whether meat is cooked properly by visually inspecting it or touching it? | 0.325* | 0.040 |
| Correlation coefficients of the items that evaluate the food safety practices related to COVID-19 among food service staff | ||
| - If you suspect COVID-19 symptoms, do you report your symptoms to your supervisor? | 0.550** | 0.000 |
| - During the COVID-19 pandemic, do you use an alcohol sanitizer with a 70-80% concentration to clean your hands? | 0.573** | 0.000 |
| - During the COVID-19 pandemic, do you use an alcohol sanitizer with a 70-80% concentration to clean all food contact surfaces? | 0.543** | 0.000 |
| - During the COVID-19 pandemic, do you wash your hands for at least 20 seconds using warm water and soap before touching food? | 0.507** | 0.001 |
| - If you suspect COVID-19 symptoms, do you take medicine and complete your work? | 0.502** | 0.001 |
| - During the COVID-19 pandemic, do you sanitize your hands before touching food? | 0.761** | 0.000 |
| - During the COVID-19 pandemic, do you check if there is any damage to food packaging upon receipt? | 0.644** | 0.000 |
| - During the COVID-19 pandemic, do you check if there is any damage to food packaging before preparing the food? | 0.688** | 0.000 |