Background:

Food allergy is an adverse human health effect arising from an abnormal immunological response following exposure to certain food proteins. In some cases, it can cause severe symptoms and even death. It has recently been identified as a public health problem, with few studies in Latin America and Costa Rica.

Objective:

To determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices about food allergens, and their management, of food handlers working in the food services of the University of Costa Rica.

Materials and Methods:

Phenomenological study (food allergens and their management), through structured interviews with food service managers and focus groups with operational workers and concessionaires of 11 canteens.

Results:

Adequate knowledge and positive attitude were identified, but with a limited application of practices by food handlers, coinciding with the low implementation of preventive measures on allergens in public food services.

Conclusions:

Knowledge and attitudes are closely related, however, little application is observed in practices, which could be due to resource limitations such as equipment, infrastructure, and the absence of specific regulation and training.

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