Conhecimento e percepção de risco sobre higiene alimentar em manipuladores de alimentos de restaurantes comerciais / Knowledge and risk perception of food handlersabout food hygiene in commercial restaurants

Food handlers play an important role in the prevention of food-bornediseases. The objectives of this study were to assess the socio-educationalprofi le, knowledge and risk perception about food hygiene of food handlersin commercial restaurants. Forty-two commercial restaurants wererandomly selected in the city of Santos / SP. As a tool for data collection,a questionnaire based on Frewer, Shepherd e Sparks (1994) and adaptedto the Brazilian standards by Schattan (2006) was used. It was dividedinto three parts: A - demographic and educational interview; B - 17 multiplechoice questionnaire and C - four questions about risk perception on foodhygiene. As a result, 49 food handlers, aged 17-60 years, both male andfemale, were interviewed. The average age was 36 years and the mostprevalent level of education corresponded to those who had fi nishedelementary school (35%). Amongst the food handlers, 54% received trainingon Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which had occurred during theprevious year for 27% of them. The average level of knowledge correspondedto 63% correct answers and the average level of risk perception was 6.4cm. The question about the correct procedure for disinfection of vegetablesand legumes received the lower percentage of correct answers (19%),showing also the lowest level of risk perception. This study demonstratedlack of knowledge and low risk perception of food handlers about somefood hygiene issues and the importance of emphasizing the concept of riskperception in the training program.

Los manipuladores de alimentos tienen unaparticipación relevante en la prevención de lastoxiinfecciones alimentares. Los objetivos delpresente estudio fueron evaluar el perfi l socioeducacional, el conocimiento y la percepcióndel riesgo sobre higiene alimentar de losmanipuladores de alimentos de restaurantescomerci a l e s . Fue ron se l e ccionadosaleatoriamente 42 restaurantes comerciales dela ciudad de Santos (São Paulo, Brasil). Lacolecta de datos fue realizada utilizando uncuestionario basado en Frewer, Shepherd eSparks (1994), adaptado a las normas brasileñaspor Schattan (2006) y que se divide en trespartes: A ? datos demográfi cos y de estudios; B- 17 preguntas de opción múltiple; C - cuatropreguntas sobre la percepción del riesgo. Lamuestra consistió en 59 preparadores de ambossexos, con 17 a 60 años de edades y promediode edad de 36 años. Prevalecía el nivel deenseñanza primaria completa (35%). Losresultados mostraron que 54% de los entrevistadoshabía recibido capacitación en Buenas Prácticasde Producción (BPP) y para el 27% de ellos,hacía menos de un año. El nivel promedio deconocimiento fue de 63% de aciertos y el nivelpromedio de percepción del riesgo fue de 6,4 cm.La pregunta sobre el procedimiento correcto dehigienización de verduras crudas obtuvo elpromedio más bajo de aciertos (19%) y también,la menor percepción del riesgo. El presenteestudio demostró falta de conocimiento ypercepción de riesgo en cuestiones de higienealimentaria y la importancia de capacitar a lospreparadores de alimentos sobre estos aspectosasociados a la producción de alimentos.

Os manipuladores de alimentos têm participaçãorelevante na prevenção de toxinfeções alimentares. Os objetivos do presente estudoforam avaliar o perfil socioeducacional, oconhecimento e a percepção de risco sobre higiene alimentar de manipuladores de alimentos em restaurantes comerciais. Para tanto, foramescolhidos aleatoriamente 42 restaurantes comerciais no município de Santos/SP. Comoinstrumento de coleta de dados foi utilizado umquestionário baseado em Frewer, Shepherd e Sparks (1994) e adaptado para as normas brasileiras por Schattan (2006), dividido em três partes: A - dados demográfi cos e educacionais;B - 17 questões de múltipla escolha e C - quatro questões sobre percepção de risco em higiene dealimentos. A amostra compreendeu 59 manipuladores, na faixa etária de 17 a 60 anos, de ambos os sexos. A média de idadedos manipuladores foi de 36 anos e escolaridadeprevalente foi ensino fundamental completo (35%). Os resultados apontaram que, dos entrevistados, 54% receberam treinamento emBoas Práticas de Produção (BPP), sendo que para 27% havia ocorrido há menos de um ano.A média do nível de conhecimento foi de 63%de acertos e a média do nível de percepção de risco foi de 6,4cm. A questão sobre o procedimento correto de higienização de verduras e legumes foi a que obteve menor percentual de acertos(19%), como também mostrou o menor nível de percepção de risco. O presente estudo mostrou baixo conhecimento e percepção de risco sobrequestões relativas à higiene de alimentos e à importância da capacitação de manipuladores quanto à percepção dos riscos associados à produção de alimentos.

Lutein presents suppressing but not blocking chemopreventive activity during diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis and this involves inhibition of DNA damage.

Cancer chemopreventive agents are classified as blocking or suppressing agents if they inhibit initiation or promotion/progression phase of carcinogenesis, respectively. Two experiments were conducted in order to classify lutein as a blocking and/or suppressing agent during rat hepatocarcinogenesis. Inhibitory effects of lutein on hepatic preneoplastic lesions (PNL) and DNA strand breakage induced in Wistar rats by the resistant hepatocyte model of hepatocarcinogenesis (initiation with diethylnitrosamine and promotion with 2-acetylaminofluorene coupled with partial hepatectomy) were investigated when the carotenoid was administered specifically during initiation (experiment 1) or promotion (experiment 2) phase. Animals received by gavage during 2 (experiment 1) or six (experiment 2) consecutive weeks on alternate days 70 mg/kg body weight of lutein. Rats treated with only corn oil during these same periods and submitted to this model were used as controls. Treatment with lutein during initiation did not inhibit nor induced (P>0.05) hepatic preneoplastic lesions and DNA damage. On the other hand, treatment during promotion inhibited (P<0.05) the size of hepatic macroscopic nodules and DNA damage and increased (P<0.05) lutein hepatic levels that reached levels seen in human liver samples. Lutein presented inhibitory actions during promotion but not initiation of hepatocarcinogenesis, being classified as a suppressing agent. This reinforces lutein as a potential agent for liver cancer chemoprevention.

Inhibitory effects of lutein and lycopene on placental glutathione S-transferase-positive preneoplastic lesions and DNA strand breakage induced in Wistar rats by the resistant hepatocyte model of hepatocarcinogenesis.

Inhibitory effects of lutein (LUT) and lycopene (LYC) on hepatic preneoplastic lesions (PNLs) and DNA strand breakage induced in Wistar rats by the resistant hepatocyte (RH) model of hepatocarcinogenesis were investigated. Animals received by gavage during 8 consecutive weeks on alternate days 70 mg/kg body weight of LUT or LYC. Rats treated with only corn oil and submitted to this model were used as controls. At the end of the experiment, treatment of the animals with LUT or LYC resulted in an increase in the respective liver carotenoid concentrations (P < 0.05). Moreover, it tended to reduce the incidence, total number, and multiplicity of hepatocyte nodules compared with the control group, although the differences did not reach statistical significance. Animals treated with LUT or LYC presented also a lower number of hepatic placental glutathione S-transferase-positive (GST-P) PNLs (P < 0.05), which were smaller (P < 0.05) and occupied a smaller area of the liver section (P < 0.05). Finally, hepatic DNA strand breakage evaluated by the comet assay was lower (P < 0.05) in carotenoid-treated animals when compared with the control group. Therefore, the results indicate that LUT and LYC represent promising chemopreventive agents during hepatocarcinogenesis and whose anticarcinogenic actions could be related to a protection against DNA instability.