A survey by the Food Standards Agency, found more than a third of staff do not wash their hands after going to the toilet.

Half do not wash their hands before preparing food.

The FSA questioned over 1,000 workers and managers in small independent catering businesses.

[Customers] don't deserve to be on the receiving end of someone who cannot be bothered to wash their hands after they visit the lavatory

Sir John Krebs, FSA

Only a third said good hygiene practices were important to their business.

Many staff who work in kitchens have neither catering qualifications nor even hygiene training.

Last year, five and a half million people said they'd had food poisoning, three quarters of them after they had eaten out.

In the FSA's 2001 Consumer Attitudes Survey, more than half said they were concerned about the standards of hygiene in catering businesses.

'Safe food'

The FSA now plans to target small, independent catering businesses in a bid to persuade they should take more care over hygiene.

It is sending food safety information and a training video to over 300,000 businesses around the UK.

Some catering managers did recognise the importance of food hygiene.

Just under half said it was a key factor in the success of their business.

Two thirds understood that everyone should wash their hands.

Knowledge

Sir John Krebs, chairman of the FSA said: "This survey shows clearly that there are catering businesses that have high standards of hygiene and food.

"Unfortunately, it also shows there are too many that don't know you cannot serve good, safe food, unless you also have high standards of food hygiene."

He added: "Consumers expect value for money when eating out.

"They don't deserve to be on the receiving end of someone who cannot be bothered to wash their hands after they visit the lavatory, or before they prepare food.

"Many food poisoning incidents can be prevented through people simply washing their hands properly and at the right time."

Peter Jenkins, of the Consumers' Association, said: "Whilst we applaud the FSA on the latest stage of its hygiene campaign, we still think that prior approval for all food businesses is essential if the FSA is serious about achieving its target to reduce foodborne illness.

"This would ensure that before food premises start selling food to the public they comply with a minimum standard of hygiene."

Phillipa Hudson of Bournemouth University Catering College said: "There's nothing to say anyone can't set up as a caterer, and they come in with no knowledge.

"There's very little opportunity to get that knowledge."