Wholesome food in adequate quantities is essential to human beings for their existence. However, diseases spread due to contaminated food are a common problem throughout the world and an important cause of reduced economic productivity. Food borne illness can, therefore, be considered a major international health problem and a significant cause of economic loss. Approximately 10 to 20% of food-borne disease outbreaks cause due to contamination by the food handlers. In Sri Lanka, information about food hygiene practices in plantation sector is scarce. Therefore, this study was designed as a preliminary study to identify hygiene practices in food processing in the plantation sector for the establishment of a surveillance system in Sri Lanka.
Objective
To develop a food hygiene surveillance system to improve food safety measures within food establishments in the plantation sector of Sri Lanka