Introduction:

The hygienic, sanitary and nutritional conditions of institutional canteens are keys to protecting health. Objective. Evaluate these conditions in canteens in the Metropolitan Area of Caracas between 2016-2017.

Materials and methods:

Through a descriptive research, 7 canteens from four municipalities were intentionally selected to evaluate their hygienic-sanitary conditions, potential risks in food preparation, menus, supervision and management, as well as health education. National comparison forms, Food Code, HACCP and estimation scale were used, with structured direct observation.

Results:

The results included five dining rooms in category I, one in category II and one in category III., reaffirming that the number of menus, the complexity of dishes and the large number of meals/users represent greater health risks, with critical violations allowed. A satisfactory average overall hygienic efficiency (88.02%) was recorded. The failures, listed in decreasing order were: protection in storage, buildings and facilities, equipment and utensils, personnel, sanitary services, general provisions and environmental sanitation. They did not apply HACCP; there are deficiencies in good preparation and handling practices according to the potential risks of meal preparation: temperature control, uniforms, hygienic habits, witness meals, corrective actions. Temperatures indicated hygienic control of food, with increased risk at rest and refrigeration steps; suitable in cooking. Menu management and food was very good, but health education classified from regular too bad.

Conclusions:

It is concluded that even in crisis the canteens have adequate management, complying with the legislation in terms of sanitary hygienic conditions, parameters and nutritional characteristics of the food.