Bacterial Load Assessment of some Food Items Sold in Street in Woldia Town, North-East Ethiopia

Kindu Alem

doi:10.22207/jpam.14.3.23

Abstract

Infectious diseases due to contaminated street vended food items has happened to an essential concern and public health issue in low socio-economic status individuals. The goal of this study was to evaluate bacterial quality and safety of some food items sold in street based on aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in Woldia town. Cross-sectional study was performed on some selected street vended foods from March 2019 to May 2019 in Woldia town. A total of 36 ready-to-eat food samples such as ‘Sambussa’, ‘Bonbolino’ and ‘Ambasha’ were collected for microbial analysis. Finding of the study indicates that 32(88.9 %) of the vendors were females, 28(77.7%) handled food with bare hands, 28(77.7%) vendors were washing their hands after toilet. The mean total count of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was 4.5×102±5.2×101 CFUg-1, 1.5×102±4.5×101 CFUg-1, 1.1×102±1.4×101 CFUg-1 and 2×102±3.4×101 CFUg-1, respectively. The dominant bacterial isolate from the street vended foods was Escherichia coli (53.5%), followed by Salmonella (24.1%) and Staphylococcus aureus (22.4%). The result of this study demonstrates the non hygienic practices of the vendors in street vended foods showed high bacterial load. Therefore, the street vended foods were contaminated with food borne pathogenic bacteria that can create a potential risk to public health in the study area. In general, the bacterial quality of the food quality sold in street in Woldia town was very poor and needs especial attention to avoid bacterial contamination.

Highlights

In low income countries foods sold in the street by food vendors prepared at home and consumed on the street without further preparation[1]
The goal of this study was to evaluate bacterial quality and safety of some food items sold in street based on aerobic mesophilic bacteria, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in Woldia town
The street vended foods were contaminated with food borne pathogenic bacteria that can create a potential risk to public health in the study area

Summary

Introduction

In low income countries foods sold in the street by food vendors prepared at home and consumed on the street without further preparation[1]. In developing countries where there is high unemployment, low salary incomes, little work chance and where urbanization is taking place, consumption of street vended food items is common[2]. Both food venders and consumers are beneficiary from the street vended foods. Even if there is a well awareness about diseases transmitted because of consumption of contaminated street vended food items, most of the consumers do not give attention these health hazards[7]. Salmonella, Shigella and related food borne infectious causing microorganisms were identified in the foods sold in the street and become serious health problem in Ethiopia. The awareness of the consumers on the safety and microbial load of the food items sold in the street and related factors in this study area are limited

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion