RESUMO
Food hygiene is the action taken to ensure that food is handled, stored, prepared and served in such a way to prevent the contamination of food, poor food hygiene may cause food poisoning outbreaks and eventually loss of lives. This study aimed to assess health needs and problems related to food hygiene practices and assess knowledge and practices of primary school children. study was done on 503 pupils at 6th grade. primary schools in El Mehalla Elkoubra.10 governmental, 2 private and 2 Azhar schools, including east sector schools and west sector schools. Tool: three tools were used to collect the data, self administered questionnaire sheet, Physical assessment sheet, Observation check list. Data were analyzed using SPSS soft ware The result of the study revealed that more than half of of study sample were females, Pupils had poor knowledge score were less than one third ,those had average knowledge score were about two fifths ,less than one third had good knowledge score. Sources of knowledge were teachers for two thirds and parents for less than two thirds, Parent's education Affected pupil's knowledge significantly. Pupils had poor practices score were less than one fifth, those had average practices score were slightly less than two thirds and more than one tenth had good practices score, knowledge affected pupil's and practices significantly. Bathroom were unclean in more than one half of schools in addition to inadequate time for hand washing in more than four fifths of schools. Score level of school environment affected significantly score level of pupil's practices. health education for children about healthy food hygiene practices with attention to school environment and involving parents and teachers to act as .a model for healthy habits