ORIGINAL ARTICLE Assessment of knowledge and applications of hygiene practices in the food service sector Maria Schirone 1 | Pierina Visciano 1 | Gabriella Di Serafino 1 | Rosanna Tofalo 1 | Andrea Ciccarelli 2 | Giovanna Suzzi 1 1 Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy 2 Faculty of Political Science, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy Correspondence Pierina Visciano, Faculty of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Via R. Balzarini, 1, 64100 Teramo, Italy. Email: pvisciano@unite.it Abstract Forty food service establishments were investigated in the Abruzzo region (central Italy) by two physical inspections and in the second one the managers were asked to fill a detailed checklist aiming at verifying the application of good hygiene practices and other regulatory requirements intended to all member states of the European Union. The results showed that training and personal hygiene were observed by most establishments (92.5 and 60%, respectively), as well as sanitation and update of supplier list (from 75 to 100% the first item and 87.5% the last). On the contrary, the major nonconformances regarded the registration documents, above all food trace- ability (90%), and storage for incoming raw materials (77.5%). The compliance to the investigated requirements did not depend on the size of food service establishment but it was strictly affected by the manager capacity or sensitivity. The specific points of the checklist (personnel, foodstuffs supplier, storage, temperature control, sanitation, personal hygiene, pest control, and registration documents) proposed in this study could facilitate and promote a good management of the food distribution system also to avoid the potential occurrence of health hazards for consumers. Practical applications The study deals with the application of good hygiene practices in forty food service establishments located in the Abruzzo region, central Italy. The investigation was achieved with the support of a detailed checklist prepared by the authors and the responses were analyzed by a multiple corre- spondence analysis and then a cluster analysis. This article can assist the food business operators by providing some suggestions to deliver and ameliorate the potential nonconformances observed in the investigated establishments. 1 | INTRODUCTION Food can contain many biological hazards during all steps of the production chain (i.e., crop harvest or animal farming, food processing, and distribution) causing food borne diseases that represent a growing public health concern worldwide (Schirone, Visciano, Tofalo, & Suzzi, 2017). In 2015 a total of 469 foodborne disease outbreaks were linked to restaurants and 112 to catering or banquet facilities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). The European legislation specifies that it is necessary to consider all aspects aiming at ensuring food safety from primary production up to food sale or supply to con- sumers (European Commission, 2002). In this context, the Hazards Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system has become an impor- tant obligation for food business operators both in the European Union (European Commission, 2004) and United States since about 1990 (Zaibet, 2000). Nevertheless in the United States some companies are required to have a Food Safety Plan under Food Safety Modernization Act including multiple components such as HACCP plans, prerequisite programs, a recall plan, and a variety of procedures (Draft Guidance, 2018). It is based on a scientific, systematic, rational, multidisciplinary, and cost-effective approach controlling food potential hazards (Lupin, Parin, & Zugarramurdi, 2010). Moreover, it is a dynamic and proactive alternative to final product analysis, as it focuses on prevention along production, distribution, and culinary preparation lines using adequate procedures of good manufacturing and distribution practices (Di Renzo et al., 2015). Besides to HACCP principles, good manufacturing practices, such as adequate maintenance of a clean condition of all J Food Saf. 2018;e12457. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfs.12457 wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jfs V C 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. | 1 of 6 Received: 11 November 2017 | Revised: 25 January 2018 | Accepted: 6 February 2018 DOI: 10.1111/jfs.12457