Microbial quality of food products sold by self help group women of informal sectors in Tamilnadu State, India

B Gowri

doi:10.17485/ijst/2012/v5i1.34

Abstract

The healthy wellbeing of mankind depends mainly on the consumption of quality food. These days Self Help Groups (SHG) are implementing a large number of village cottage industries, especially food processing industries. To empower the SHG women physically and economically, the present report focused on the health conditions and prevailing food safety knowledge among the selected SHG members. The objectives of the study is to assess microbial quality of food items prepared by women who are involved in food processing trade in the unorganized sector with regard to various parameters like adopting food safety and hygienic methods, food safety laws for food production. In this regard, 200 SHG women who are involved in food processing trade in Dindigul District, Tamilnadu were selected for the study. The investigator met the respondents and collected their background information including socio economic details, knowledge about food safety practices. Microbial analysis, food adulteration test were done for food samples. Food safety and nutrition education was given to the respondents and the impact was assessed by using interview and observation method. Our investigation reveals that there is an urgency to infuse food safety and disease prevention methods in this sector. Also we recommend training programmes for SHGs to improve the methods of preparation, serving food hygienically and proper packing by giving training through NGOs or by Government itself.

Highlights

Introduction opportunities for the food industry and put across "We are what we eat" is an old proverb
Food-borne diseases are a worldwide problem of great collected their background details. Magnitude, both in terms of human suffering and food adulteration test were done for food samples
These days Self Help Groups (SHG) are them and collected the details about socio-economic implementing a large number of village cottage industries, background, knowledge about food safety using interview especially food processing industries

Summary

Introduction

Introduction opportunities for the food industry and put across "We are what we eat" is an old proverb. To know the socio– economic background of the formidable as in most countries it is poorly recorded It is selected respondents; To assess the food hygienic estimated that almost 70% of the approximate 1.5 billion practices of the women SHGS; To identify the microbial episodes of diarrhea that occur in the world annually are contamination of the selected food Items prepared by directly caused by biological or chemical contamination in SHGS; To detect the adulterants present in the raw foods (WHO, 1998). These days Self Help Groups (SHG) are them and collected the details about socio-economic implementing a large number of village cottage industries, background, knowledge about food safety using interview especially food processing industries. By using serial improper transport of foods, use of contaminated water, dilution test presence of microbial load such as bacteria, high turn-over of food handlers, lack of personnel hygiene fungi in common street foods like Curry leaves, Papad, and non judicious use of colorants and preservatives, Sathumavu, Murukku, Athirasam, Green gram ball, these unit pose considerable food safety hazards Papad, Ragi puttu, Rusk, Vadai, Grape squash, Bhajji,

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Results

Conclusion