Examination about Consumers Knowledge of Food Storage Conditions in Household - Context of Food Safety

Abstract

Today, food safety and quality have a significant role in consumer health, as final link in the food chain. Legislation clearly defines temperature conditions during the production, distribution and retailing of chilled food. As soon as the consumer purchases the food, it is outside of any of these legislative requirements. Inadequate temperature in domestic refrigeration is frequently cited as possible factor in food poisoning incidents. In this study applied to a representative sample of households (n=100) throughout the City of Belgrade, the basic data were collected about conditions of food storage and preservation. Also consumer knowledge about food storage temperatures in domestic refrigerators were examined. Measuring the refrigeration temperature it was found that 92% of examined refrigerators operate at temperature above the recommended 4°C.