Food Hygiene
“Microbial Quality, Nutritional Knowledge and Food Hygienic
Practices Among Street Food Vendors”
1. INTRODUCTION
The term “street foods” describes a wide range of ready-to-eat foods and beverages sold and some times prepared in public places, notably at streets. Like fast foods, the final preparation of street foods occurs when the customer orders the meal which can be consumed where it is purchased or taken away. Street foods and fast foods are low in cost when compared with restaurant meals and offer an attractive alternative to home-cooked food. In spite of these similarities, street food and fast food enterprises differ in variety, environment, marketing techniques and ownership.
Foods that are served to the customers should be “clean” and “safe”, absence of poisonous substances or contaminants and free from spoilage. If foods are not clean and safe health hazards like headache, stomach pain, vomiting, giddiness and anemia may also occur. Due to the modernization many school children and adults skip their breakfast and they prefer to eat street foods or fast foods or convenient foods.
There is mistaken assumption that food contamination is inevitable in street foods. Yet millions of people depend on this source of nutrition. Vendors knew that consumers watch the way food is prepared and notice whether the work area and vendor’s hands and cloths are clean or tidy. The vendors have to satisfy the customers with improved practices in the preparation of foods learned through training in nutrition and hygiene.
Since, all categories of people from different socio-economic sectors purchased the street foods; the street foods should not only be cheap but also hygienic and rich in nutrition. The investigators with their nutrition knowledge had an urge to study the nutrition knowledge of the vendors, whether the foods prepared are nutritional sound or not? Are they preparing and serving food hygienically? Etc. Disease could be easily spread through food, water
Practices Among Street Food Vendors”
1. INTRODUCTION
The term “street foods” describes a wide range of ready-to-eat foods and beverages sold and some times prepared in public places, notably at streets. Like fast foods, the final preparation of street foods occurs when the customer orders the meal which can be consumed where it is purchased or taken away. Street foods and fast foods are low in cost when compared with restaurant meals and offer an attractive alternative to home-cooked food. In spite of these similarities, street food and fast food enterprises differ in variety, environment, marketing techniques and ownership.
Foods that are served to the customers should be “clean” and “safe”, absence of poisonous substances or contaminants and free from spoilage. If foods are not clean and safe health hazards like headache, stomach pain, vomiting, giddiness and anemia may also occur. Due to the modernization many school children and adults skip their breakfast and they prefer to eat street foods or fast foods or convenient foods.
There is mistaken assumption that food contamination is inevitable in street foods. Yet millions of people depend on this source of nutrition. Vendors knew that consumers watch the way food is prepared and notice whether the work area and vendor’s hands and cloths are clean or tidy. The vendors have to satisfy the customers with improved practices in the preparation of foods learned through training in nutrition and hygiene.
Since, all categories of people from different socio-economic sectors purchased the street foods; the street foods should not only be cheap but also hygienic and rich in nutrition. The investigators with their nutrition knowledge had an urge to study the nutrition knowledge of the vendors, whether the foods prepared are nutritional sound or not? Are they preparing and serving food hygienically? Etc. Disease could be easily spread through food, water