Assessment of the Food Safety Situation in Small and Medium Sized Food Outlets in the Capital of Saudi Arabia - Riyadh

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INFORMED CONSENT LETTER

Dear Participant,

You have been approached to provide your participation for the research. This study is part of an Alternative Medicine - Healthcare dissertation being presented to the faculty at [Name of the University]. Research will be conducted through surveys. Before giving consent to participate in this research, kindly read the section below and ask any question if you want to understand what your participation will involve.

Throughout the world, there have been more reported cases of food borne diseases than before. Indeed, it has been estimated that 30% of the population in industrialized countries suffer from food borne disease each year (WHO 2007). In the European Union, an estimated 88 % of food borne illness outbreaks resulted from food served in catering establishments (FSA 2001). Furthermore, most food borne disease outbreaks resulted from bad food handling practices, lack of knowledge and poor hygiene. The increases of food borne illness demonstrate the urgent need to improving food safety in this food service area, especially the applications of HACCP in the catering sector. Several researchers have declared that numbers of food borne illness outbreaks have been reduced along with microbiological quality improvement when applying HACCP principles in the food service sector. Most food caterers presently have no understanding of the HACCP or and other food safety management systems strategy, therefore there is a necessity that the for regulatory authorities y to clarifies the goals of the strategy, and provides effective information to ensure uniformity in the application of food safety principles. The purpose of this research is to assess the food safety situation in small and medium sized food outlets in the capital of Saudi Arabia - Riyadh. Furthermore, the research aims at determining issues related t food safety in Riyadh and developing recommendations.

If you are participating in this survey, it will only take 15 to 20 minutes. Your participation is highly appreciated and is completely your wish to volunteer for the participation or withdraw anytime. Return of a completed questionnaire indicates your willingness to participate in this study. While filling the survey, you might anticipate the following process to be followed by the researchers. You will fill out the questionnaire about the affect of media on attitude towards climate change. After completion, please place the questionnaire in the envelope provided, seal it, and a researcher will collect them in the envelope provided for return to the researcher.

In order to make sure that the research is following the law and regulations, the following steps are taken: 1) questionnaires will remain completely anonymous and no personal identification will be asked 2) no participant will be identified by name in the published research, rather pooled data will be reported 3) only the identified researchers will have access to the study records 4) all questionnaires will be placed in a sealed envelope by the person filling them out, and not opened except by the ...