Contemporary Studies and Theories in Gastronomy and Food Science

Introduction

With the changing life conditions and developing technology, especially women’s being more active in business life and the fact that eating is now a form of communication causes the rapid increase in mass consumption places and the fact that businesses producing food products become chains and serve in different locations day by day. Chain businesses are advantageous in that they are managed from a single center and that all products produced are structured over standard recipes. Standardization is very important as chain businesses are businesses that can be in different cities and locations, as well as outside the country.

This study aims to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the employees in these businesses in Istanbul, which is the headquarters of most chain food and beverage companies in Turkey, about allergenic foods that are required to be notified. In addition, how food allergy management is carried out is to examine the actions taken by the business.

Data Analysis

In the analysis of quantitative data, descriptive statistical analysis was performed using SPSS V.21 (IBM, IL, USA) and the arithmetic mean standard deviation, and percentages (%) of the obtained data were calculated (Büyüköztürk, 2016). For knowledge questions, the percentage of correct answers given to each knowledge question is given. Attitude questions, on the other hand, were converted into a score that determines the attitudes of the participants, since there is no right or wrong answer for each item since it is subjective. By taking the average of the answers given to each item, a general level of attitude about that participant’s food allergy was determined. Similarly, the person’s knowledge level was expressed with a single variable by giving 1 point to each person’s correct answers and 0 points to their incorrect answers, and adding these points. The mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values of these “knowledge” and “attitude” scores are given. In addition, the Cronbach’s Alpha values of these variables, that is, the reliability coefficients, are stated. Participants’ gender, age, educational background, etc. The independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance tested whether all other demographic data differed according to the knowledge and attitude levels of the participants. The pairwise comparison of the groups with the findings that were significant in ANOVA was made with the Scheffe test, known as the post-hoc test. After the comparison analysis, the relationship between knowledge and attitude levels was tested with correlation analysis. Findings with a p-value <0.05 were considered to be statistically significant.

Analysis of Quantitative Data

According to Table 1.1, it has been determined that there is a lack of knowledge about cross-contact.

According to Table 1.2, 70.3 % of the participants gave the correct answer to the allergenicity of soy.

The reliability of the questions asked about the level of knowledge and attitude was tested with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. As a result of the analysis, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the knowledge questions was found to be 778, while the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the attitude variable was found to be 785. These values show that the reliability of the questions asked is high (Table 1.3).

As a result of the independent sample t-test performed in Table 1.4, it was found that the level of knowledge about food allergy did not differ significantly according to the gender of the participants. t =​ 1.762. p > 0.05. In addition, according to the results of the one-way analysis of variance, it was found that the level of knowledge about food allergy did not differ significantly according to the working time of the participants in the current business. F(0.380) =​ 1.647. p > 0.05.

According to Table 1.5, the level of knowledge about food allergy is significantly higher among the participants who received training on food allergy according to the labeling regulation, those who received training on food allergy in their workplace, and who conducted personal research on food allergy.

As a result of the independent sample t-test performed in Table 1.6, it was found that all of them differed according to the answers given to the questions about the attitude about food allergy, respectively, t =​ 3.738, 2.353, 5.176, 1.972, p <0.05. Accordingly, it is seen that the attitudes of the participants, who received training on food allergy, were trained in this regard in the business they work, who conducted personal research on food allergy, and who found the actions taken for food allergy in the business they work to be sufficient, were significantly more positive.

Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationships between Attitudes About Food Allergy and Level of Knowledge About Food Allergy (Table 1.7). As a result of the analysis, a significant and positive correlation was found between the Level of Knowledge About Food Allergy and Attitudes About Food Allergy, r =​ .371, p <0.01. According to this result, it can be said that as the level of knowledge about food allergy increases, the attitude about food allergy increases positively.

When the nuts are collected from a salad prepared with nuts, the salad product can be consumed by an allergic person.” statement is incorrect and 72.9 % of the participants gave the correct answer. In Tatlı (2019)‘s research, 62.4 % of the participants gave wrong answers. Common et al. (2013), on the other hand, it was determined that 13 % of the employees thought that the product would not cause allergies since the allergen product was extracted from a ready-to-eat product. In this regard, it can be said that the level of knowledge of the employees has increased.