Correlation between food hygiene sanitation and escherichia coli (E.coli) contamination on snacks sold around elementary school in Jatiasih subdistrict, Bekasi Indonesia

Background: Snacks has an important role to provide nutrition for school-age children. However, they are vulnerable to contamination caused by pathogens such as bacteria. Food contamination can be caused by several factors, one of them is food hygiene sanitation. Therefore, this study aims to determine hygiene sanitation factors associated with Escherichia coli (E.coli) contamination on snacks sold at elementary schools located in Jatiasih Subdistrict, Bekasi, Indonesia. Materials and Method: Subject of this study were 51 food handlers who sell snacks around elementary schools area. This study was a cross-sectional study and used primary data. Analysis data used chi-square test and regression-logistic test. Findings: Results from Chi-square test indicate that there are association between food handler personal hygiene (OR = 4.500 [CI 95% 1.20 – 16.81]), food stall sanitation (OR = 5.146 [95% CI 1.243 – 21.30]), and food container (OR = 4.167 [95% CI 1.194 – 14.54]). Results from logistic regression test indicate that food stall sanitation (OR = 4.93) and cooked-food container (OR = 3.98) are the most dominant factors to E.coli contamination on snacks that are sold around elementary schools in Jatiasih Subdistrict, Bekasi. Conclusion The most dominant factor responsible for E.coli contamination on snacks at elementary schools, Jatiasih Subdistrict, Bekasi are food stall sanitation with OR = 4.93. Authors suggest stakeholders in Bekasi City should give counselling and training about hygiene sanitation for food handlers in every school, provide sanitation facility, and PPE for food handlers such as aprons and gloves.