A Study on Attitudes Toward Food Safety Issues in Korea - Focus on the Public Official Related to Food Hygiene -

식품안전성에 대한 기본인식 조사 - 식품위생 관련 공무원을 중심으로 -

A survey was conducted to investigate the attitudes of public officials related to food hygiene toward food safety. The official groups were divided into four sub-groups based on their area, agency, gender and age. Response of each group to the survey was statistically analysed. The survey's results showed that most of them (87.0%) were satisfied with a domestic level of food hygiene. But, some of then (29.8%) considered unsatisfactoryly on safety of the food they eat. Their response to food safety did not statistically significant between each group of area, agency and age but, in case of gender, female group showed stastically more negative attitude to food safety than male one (P<0.05). All groups chose residues of chemical substances such as pesticides and food additives as the most potential food risk factor followed by foodborne pathogens, heavy metals and animal drug residues. The results are not consistent with the scientific judgement. Therefore, more education and information were needed fro these groups. They pointed out food manufacturer as a responsible group for poor food hygiene (48.7%). In addition, food manufacture and processing were selected as main business types with the lowest level in the food hygiene but official, working in the area of the central government and Seoul metropolitan city, pointed out food services establishments as the poorest hygiene one (P<0.01). This results suggested that education and information to let mind of responded groups change, working in this part, and governmental financial support are needed to improve hygiene level of food manufacture and processing (70.3%). They also chose HACCP as the most effective way for improving the level of food hygiene followed by Recall, PL (Product Liability), monitoring, labeling and increasing of number of company with good manufacture and processing (GMP).