The impact of food hygiene and sanitation on food quality in public and private elementary school canteens

Cases of food poisoning after consuming snacks, food, and drinks from elementary school canteens are still widely occurring in the Central Java Province of Indonesia. This study aimed to evaluate food hygiene sanitation and food quality in public and private elementary school canteens. This study was an observational study with a cross-sectional design. The sample was 225 school canteens selected by stratified random sampling techniques. Hygiene and sanitation data were obtained using an observational checklist from the Indonesian Health Ministry and laboratory tests. Physical observations and laboratory tests were used to examine the food quality in school canteens and the canteen premises. The data were analyzed using the chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. The results showed that the quality of school canteen food that did not comply with the six criteria of food hygiene and sanitation was 0.88%, 7.1% in chemical tests, and 44% in microbiological tests. It also revealed differences in the food quality in the chemical testing in public and private school canteens (p = 0.039). There was a relationship between food quality, food raw materials (p = 0.022), and the kitchens where the food is prepared (p = 0.006). There were differences in the physical test results between food raw materials and food quality in public and private primary school canteens (p = 0.034). The findings confirmed that hygiene and sanitation have an impact on food quality. Chemical food contamination was introduced to the food through cheap, poor-quality additives and preservatives, which are banned for use in the food industry. This study highlights the need for regular implementation, guidance, and enforcement of food safety checks in school canteens, emphasizing food hygiene and sanitation to prevent deliberate food contamination and cross-contamination from the surrounding environment, storage, and handling.