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Identifying critical risk practices among street food handlers

Alekhya Sabbithi, S.G.D.N. Lakshmi Reddi, R. Naveen Kumar, Varanasi Bhaskar, G.M. Subba Rao, Sudershan Rao V.

British Food Journal

ISSN: 0007-070X

Article publication date: 6 February 2017

1225

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize the key food safety practices among street food handlers that lead to microbial contamination in selected street foods of Hyderabad, India. These key food safety practices will help develop and design tailor-made training material for street food vendors in future.

Design/methodology/approach

It is a cross-sectional study conducted in south Indian city of Hyderabad. Stratified random sampling method was employed. A total of 463 samples of street foods were collected from five zones of Hyderabad. They included 163 salad toppings, 150 fresh fruit juices and 150 panipuri samples. Identification and enumeration of foodborne pathogens and indicator organisms (S. aureus, E. coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Bacillus cereus, Yersinia spp.) were performed as described by USFDA-BAM. Information on food safety knowledge and handling practices from street vendors were collected using a structured questionnaire. Associations between hygiene practices and bacterial pathogens were done using ANOVA. Risk estimation of food safety practices was assessed by calculating odds ratio.

Findings

Microbiological analysis indicated that a large number of carrot (98.1 percent) and onion (75.5 percent) samples were contaminated with E. coli. Peeled and cut fruits left uncovered have 13.4 times risk (OR: 2.40-74.8) of E. coli contamination compared to the covered ones. Panipuri samples picked from the vendors who did not have soap at the vending unit had significantly (p<0.001) higher contamination of fecal coliforms than those who had.

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kind in the study area.

Keywords

Citation

Sabbithi, A., Reddi, S.G.D.N.L., Naveen Kumar, R., Bhaskar, V., Subba Rao, G.M. and Rao V., S. (2017), "Identifying critical risk practices among street food handlers", British Food Journal, Vol. 119 No. 2, pp. 390-400. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-04-2016-0174

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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