Authors: Okorie Jenefail Paul, Dr. Cassidy Etta Agbor, Dr Diminyi Christopher Awam, Runyi Daniel James
ABSTRACT: This study examined the extent of hygiene practices adopted by fast-food outlets serving academic and non-academic staff at the University of Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, and compared these practices with staff’s own perception of hygiene compliance in the same outlets. Adopting a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 189 academic staff across the Faculties of Social Sciences and Environmental Sciences using a structured questionnaire administered at five major campus fast-food outlets. Results show that outlets consistently observed visible, appearance-related hygiene measures, notably covering hair with a cap or hairnet (28.6%) and wearing clean uniforms (20.1%), while technically critical but less visible measures, such as sanitizing preparation surfaces (3.2%), maintaining proper refrigeration (2.1%), and avoiding food handling while ill (1.6%), were rarely reported. Staff perception of overall hygiene largely mirrored this pattern: hygiene was most often rated “good” (22.8%) or “fair” (15.9%), yet a meaningful minority described practices as inconsistent, hygienic only during inspections, or hygienic only in select outlets, suggesting that staff are alert to the gap between appearance-level compliance and substantive food-safety practice. The study argues that visible compliance can create an impression of adequate hygiene while masking weaknesses in the technical practices that most directly affect food safety, and recommends structured training, routine internal inspection, and improved sanitation infrastructure as priorities for campus food-service management.
Keywords: Hygiene practices, Staff perception, Food safety compliance, Fast-food outlets, University campus, Nigeria