Next Article in Journal
Quantitative Analysis of Decoquinate Residues in Hen Eggs through Derivatization-Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Next Article in Special Issue
Effectiveness of Online Food-Safety Educational Programs: A Systematic Review, Random-Effects Meta-Analysis, and Thematic Synthesis
Previous Article in Journal
Evaluating the Potential Safety Risk of Plant-Based Meat Analogues by Analyzing Microbial Community Composition
Previous Article in Special Issue
Examining Safe Food-Handling Knowledge, Behaviour, and Related Psychological Constructs among Individuals at Higher Risk of Food Poisoning and the General Population
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Raw Meat Consumption and Food Safety Challenges: A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Consumers in Lebanon

1
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon
2
Center for Food Safety, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
This article is a part of the M.Sc. thesis of Rouba Ballout.
Foods 2024, 13(1), 118; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13010118
Submission received: 15 November 2023 / Revised: 23 December 2023 / Accepted: 27 December 2023 / Published: 29 December 2023
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Risk Perception, Communication and Behavior on Food Safety Issues)

Abstract

A key contributor to foodborne illnesses is consuming contaminated ready-to-eat foods, including raw meats. The latter is a common practice in Lebanon, a country that suffers from widespread pollution and food safety challenges. However, studies on the safety of raw meat consumption in Lebanon are limited. In this study, an attempt was made to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of the Lebanese population toward the potential risk associated with the consumption of raw meats, and to identify factors that affect KAP levels. An online survey (n = 577) was administered to Lebanese adults aged 18 years and above to assess their KAPs. The results showed that 74.5% of the participants consumed raw meat, 44% had good food safety knowledge, and 30.7% exhibited good practices. However, more than half of the participants (61.9%) showed a positive attitude toward food safety. There was a significant association between knowledge and attitude (p < 0.001), attitude and practices (p < 0.001), and knowledge and practices (p < 0.001), thereby indicating that an increase in food safety education could translate into better practices in this population. Accordingly, efforts to enhance education on food safety are warranted to reduce the potential risk of food poisoning associated with raw meat consumption in Lebanon.
Keywords: food safety; foodborne diseases; ready-to-eat; raw meat; knowledge; attitudes; practices; Lebanon food safety; foodborne diseases; ready-to-eat; raw meat; knowledge; attitudes; practices; Lebanon

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Ballout, R.; Toufeili, I.; Kharroubi, S.A.; Kassem, I.I. Raw Meat Consumption and Food Safety Challenges: A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Consumers in Lebanon. Foods 2024, 13, 118. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13010118

AMA Style

Ballout R, Toufeili I, Kharroubi SA, Kassem II. Raw Meat Consumption and Food Safety Challenges: A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Consumers in Lebanon. Foods. 2024; 13(1):118. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13010118

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ballout, Rouba, Imad Toufeili, Samer A. Kharroubi, and Issmat I. Kassem. 2024. "Raw Meat Consumption and Food Safety Challenges: A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Consumers in Lebanon" Foods 13, no. 1: 118. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13010118

APA Style

Ballout, R., Toufeili, I., Kharroubi, S. A., & Kassem, I. I. (2024). Raw Meat Consumption and Food Safety Challenges: A Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Consumers in Lebanon. Foods, 13(1), 118. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13010118

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop