Abstract
This study examines the food safety beliefs of vendors and consumers in a mid-sized Nigerian city using data from in-depth interviews and cognitive mapping techniques drawn from ethnography. We examine vendors’ and consumers’ perspectives on which foods are safe, which are not, and why; the place of foodborne illness among other health concerns and motivators of food choice; and how salient food safety is as a concern for vendors. The main perceived causes of unsafe food were found to be chemicals and insects; while bacterial illnesses were widely mentioned as a cause of gastrointestinal symptoms, these were not necessarily linked to food in consumers’ minds. Respondents agreed strongly that certain foods (e.g., cowpea, beef, green leafy vegetables, and local rice) were less safe than others. The importance of food safety as a choice motivator among consumers varies depending on framing: when asked directly, it was prominent and closely related to visible cleanliness, but concerns about food safety competed in consumers’ minds against other salient motivators of food and vendor choice, such as price. Most vendors did not see food safety, cleanliness, or hygiene as a key trait of a successful vendor, and just over half of vendors had any concern about the safety of their food. In conclusion, we note the implications for intervention designs, particularly the need to build upon consumers’ and vendors’ current beliefs and practices related to food safety in order to make foodborne disease prevention a more salient concern in food choice.
Highlights
Food safety, the assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared or eaten according to its intended use [1], is necessary for food security and improving health, nutrition, and wellbeing [2]
Foodborne diseases associated with 31 high-risk microbial and chemical hazards are responsible for an estimated 600 million illnesses and 420,000 premature deaths annually [3], mostly among those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) [4,5] who make up about 75% of deaths
We conclude by drawing on these insights to suggest certain recommendations for improving food safety in Birnin Kebbi and similar settings
Summary
The assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared or eaten according to its intended use [1], is necessary for food security and improving health, nutrition, and wellbeing [2]. For food to be safe, it should not contain harmful levels of hazards such as viruses, bacteria, molds, protozoa, helminths (worms), as well as chemicals associated with adverse health impacts [3]. Foodborne diseases associated with 31 high-risk microbial and chemical hazards are responsible for an estimated 600 million illnesses and 420,000 premature deaths annually [3], mostly among those living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) [4,5] who make up about 75% of deaths (but only 41% of the global population). Past studies have shown high levels (contamination in up to 100% of samples) of risk and hazard for numerous foods sold in the country’s traditional markets [6], and the WHO region containing Nigeria has the highest per capita burden of foodborne illness in the world [3]
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