The objective of this paper is to evaluate the knowledge and practices of Polish consumers in terms of broadly defined hygiene on food preparation at home. The consequence of improper food handling may be a faster rate of food spoilage. A specially designed questionnaire was used. The study was conducted on a nationwide, random, and representative group of 1115 adult respondents. Segmentation (cluster analysis) of respondents differing in their practice and knowledge of meal preparation and personal hygiene was carried out. Several areas were diagnosed in which the respondents' knowledge and practice were insufficient, such as storage of food products, inappropriate conduct of the thawing process, and heating of dishes. It was found that the best practice and knowledge of the issues discussed were characteristic of unemployed women over 35 years of age (cluster D). They offen gave answers that were significantly different (p < 0.05) from those given by the other clusters. The most limited knowledge and the worst practices were characteristic of mainly men with elementary and secondary education who are a part of the labor force (cluster E and A). The segmentation provided valuable information which indicates that educational programs on food safety need to be further strengthened.
Keywords: cluster analysis; consumers; food safety; food safety knowledge; food safety practice; food spoilage; food waste.