Abstract
PurposeThis cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the compliance of hygienic and technical standards of street food vendors in Slovenia with the requirements of the general hygienic food principals set in the Codex Alimentarius and Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs.Design/methodology/approachFood vendors were observed directly and discretely using a semi-structured observation sheet that allowed fast evaluation. The employee's behaviour was not affected during the observations because they were not aware of being observed. Each observation lasted approximately 30 min. Food vendors were divided into groups according to their location, type of facility, number of employees and type of food sold.FindingsDepending on the type of street vendor, more inconsistencies were found amongst food stands compared to food trucks and kiosks. Most food trucks and kiosks scored very high in both personal and hygienic-technical standards. Some of the major inconsistencies were lack of suitably located washbasins, improper hand-washing technique, improper waste management, working surfaces that were inadequately separated from consumers, and inconsistent maintenance of the cold chain. Food handlers have been confirmed as a critical risk factor.Research limitations/implicationsDespite methodology validation, the data was collected by a single observer, limiting the ability to obtain a more reliable estimate of the observations. The sample was disproportionate according to the type of street food facilities.Practical implicationsThe results provide a basis for (1) national professional guidelines of good hygiene practices for food business operators, which should cover street food vendors more extensively in future updates, and (2) the development of food safety training programmes tailored for street vendors.Originality/valueThe study provides valuable insights into current hygienic-technical conditions of the street food vending sector.
Highlights
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 2.5 billion people consume street food daily (Fellows and Hilmi, 2011)
Street food trucks and kiosks met them with better compliance compared to street food stands (Table 1)
The revealed situation highlighted that human factors play a major role in food safety assurance in this sector
Summary
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 2.5 billion people consume street food daily (Fellows and Hilmi, 2011). “Street foods are ready-to-eat foods and beverages prepared and/or sold by vendors and hawkers especially in streets and other similar public places” Vendors can be found in almost every corner of the street, market, city centre, or any other public place, where the ebb and flow of people going about their daily lives is substantial (Proietti et al, 2013). The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
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