Evaluation of Complementary Food Formulated from Local Staples and Fortified with Calcium, Iron and Zinc

Abstract

Food handlers play a fundamental role in the transmission of Food Transmitted Diseases- DTAS. This study is aimed to characterize a population of workers in segment of food and beverage who participate of the training process with a focus on sociodemographic, occupational and training profiles on a capital of northeastern Brazil. We evaluated 116 participants from food handlers participating in the training process of qualification with the School of Hospitality and Tourism - Barreira Roxa of the state of RN located in northeastern Brazil. We used a structured questionnaire containing questions concerning social- demographic and professional training aspects. It was observed that 51% of the samples were women with an age average of 30 ± 8.2 years; 78% had completed high school, 88.8% of subjects had no technical training for their job function and 57% worked as sales promoters. Moreover, it was presented a high turnover among participants. The results indicate the presence of workers without professional and school advancement in the food segment. So there is a need for training programs coupled with various actions that could contribute to the production of safe food.