Perceptions and practices on food safety among food delivery services: insights into their relationship

Introduction: The purchase of meals through delivery services, a previously established trend, gained momentum in Brazil during the Covid-19 pandemic. Objective: To evaluate the perceptions of responsibility and hygiene practices implemented by managers of commercial restaurants to ensure the safety of meals delivered through delivery services. Method: A self-administered questionnaire was utilized, which was divided into five sections: I. Analysis of risk perception; II. Identification of the socioeconomic profile of managers; III. Analysis of business characteristics; IV. Assessment of food safety assurance systems; and V. Evaluation of the company's delivery system before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. All sections were answered using a five-point Likert scale. Results: Among the 37 participating commercial restaurants, 13 managers reported not feeling responsible for the sanitation of delivery containers (p=0.003), and 25 expressed the same regarding the inclusion of training in good practices for delivery personnel (p=0.049). Although managers self-reported appropriate hygiene practices related to delivery services, most did not consider themselves responsible for providing training and capacity-building for delivery personnel. This finding contradicts the guidance issued by the World Health Organization for food businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as recommendations from Brazilian authorities such as ANVISA and ABRASEL. Conclusion: The findings of this study may serve as a basis for future research evaluating the production and delivery chain of delivery systems in situ, aiming for enhanced food safety control within this sector.