Popular Street Food Research Articles

Antibiogram of bacterial pathogens isolated from one of the most popular street food (panipuri) of dehradun

Antibiogram of bacterial pathogens isolated from one of the most popular street food (panipuri) of dehradun

Detection of enteric bacteria in the popular street food chotpoti in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Contaminated street food has been linked to food-borne illness and food-borne outbreak. Chotpoti is a popular street food in Bangladesh. This study was conducted to identify enteric bacteria in chotpoti sold in different parts of the capital city Dhaka. From July to October, 2012 we purposively selected 18 sites where chotpoti was sold in Dhaka city. From each site we randomly selected six chotpoti stalls for sample collection. At each stall we aseptically collected approximately 100 gm of a combined sample of chotpoti, chili sauce and water used for cleaning utensils. The combined sample was homogenized and was serially diluted in a sterile test tube with normal saline to obtain a dilution up to 10-5. From each test tube 0.1 ml of dilution was plated on to MacConkey and Blood agar plates under aerobic conditions at 37?C for 24 to 48 hours. Bacterial growth was identified by the colonial morphology, Gram stain, and biochemical tests. Of the 108 samples we analyzed, 84 (78%) were contaminated with bacterial pathogens. Among isolated organisms Acinetobacter (66%) was the most dominant followed by Klebsiella spp. (54%), E. coli (3%) and Proteus spp. (0.9%). Two different organisms were present in 47 (44%) samples. In half of the study sites, every sample was contaminated; in only one site bacterial contamination was absent in all samples. Contaminated street food like chotpoti may cause food borne illness and pose risk of food borne epidemics. Further studies are required for quantitative assessment of pathogens to detect potential sources of contamination and to develop interventions that can effectively reduce street food contamination.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. December 2016, 2(4): 596-602

From Afterthought to Staple: Expanding use of pulses as food ingredient in U.S. diets

From Afterthought to Staple: Expanding use of pulses as food ingredient in U.S. diets

Food, Gender, and Cross-Cultural Consumption in Turkish-German Chick Lit

In the first decade of this millennium a new genre arrived on the German literary scene: light-hearted autobiographical novels by successful, second-generation, Turkish German women, Turkish German “chick lit.” Food features significantly in these works, where it can represent both the bridging of intercultural difference and the persistence of the Turkish German divide. In Germany, the döner kebab is the hugely popular street food most commonly associated with Turkish culinary culture. These chick-lit novels confront the reductive view of Turkish food in Germany and present home-cooked food as an appealing aspect of Turkish culture. The representations draw strongly on gender stereotypes, however, portraying nurturing women who cook for their families or invoking food as a shorthand for exotic sexual allure. Above all, in the gendered portrayal of meat, these works dovetail with a long history of culturalizing discourses about Turks in Germany. This article shows how gendered discourses around food sustain intercultural tensions with a history as long as Turkish migration to Germany itself.

Cooking from Life: The Real Recipe for Street Food in Ha Noi

Cooking from Life: The Real Recipe for Street Food in Ha Noi

Macronutrient Status of Street Foods

Street foods are quite common in urban areas. Several varieties of street foods are available to the public and quality of such ready-to-eat foods is primarily important from public health point of view. The selected (popular) street foods from various categories were subjected to quality analysis during the time of investigation, in Dharwad city in terms of nutrients. All the selected street foods differed significantly with respect to macro nutrients. Sweet items supplied more energy (311 Kcal) followed by non-vegetarian foods (305 Kcal) and least from fast foods (239 Kcal). The protein and fat content of non-vegetarian foods was more followed by fried foods, while cereal foods supplied the least. The carbohydrate content of sweet items was more (49.46 g) followed by fried foods (42.09 g) and lowest from non-vegetarian foods (24.08 g). The fried and fast foods supplied more fibre and non-vegetarian and sweet items supplied less fibre in the group. Contribution of energy was highest from sweet items (76 Kcal) followed by fried foods (68 Kcal) and cereal foods (57 Kcal), while lowest from fast foods (37 Kcal). The protein and fat content of fried foods was more. The carbohydrate content of sweet items (12.37 g) and fibre of cereal foods (2.36 g) was found to be on higher side in the street foods.

Bacteriology of a most popular street food (Panipuri) and inhibitory effect of essential oils on bacterial growth.

Bacteriology of Panipuri was studied and the antibacterial effect of eight essential oils (EOs) was established on pathogens found in Panipuri. Samples were collected from twelve respective vendors from different locations in Baripada city, Orissa. Samples were fractionated into two parts viz. khatta pani and smashed potato masala used in Panipuri. Total plate count and isolation of pathogenic bacteria were done on both basal and selective media. Coliforms were detected primarily by presumptive test and confirmed subsequently, using Eosine Methylene Blue Agar. Selected colonies were pure cultured and identified through staining and an array of biochemical reactions. Antibiogram pattern of the pathogens and their susceptibility towards eight different EOs were performed. Antibacterial efficacy of four EOs in food sample was studied. Aerobic bacterial load of solid samples was observed to be more than in the liquid samples. Coliform-positive samples were found to be of 80.33%. Pathogenic bacteria like Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Enterobactor sp., Bacillus sp., Enterococcus sp., Micrococcus tetragens, Salmonella paratyphi, Shigella dysenteriae and Vibrio sp. were detected. Antibiogram studies of the isolates showed multiple antibiotic resistance index (MRI;%) ranging from 15 to 92%. Among the EOs studied Cinnamon and Clove oils showed maximum antibacterial activity. Antibacterial efficacy showed that Clove and Cinnamon oils were comparatively of superior quality than Turmeric leaf and Japanese mint oils to kill food borne pathogens. Although it was a preliminary endeavor, the present study is a prerequisite in understanding the significance of pathogenic microorganisms in street foods and use of EOs as both antibacterial agents and food preservatives.

Microbiological quality of selected street foods from a restricted area of São Paulo city, Brazil

The aim of this study was to assess the microbiological quality of popular street foods available in a restricted area in São Paulo, Brazil. Forty samples were submitted to the research of fecal coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, and were classified according to preparation site and group of food. Informal observations of the vendors were also carried out. 35% of the samples were considered unsuitable for consumption according to the microbiological criteria. B. cereus posed the greater percentage risk among the pathogens. Given the socio-economic importance of street foods, this trend demands actions by the authorities and consumers to improve its safety and to prevent harms to public health.

Do street food vendors sell a sufficient variety of foods for a healthful diet? The case of Nairobi.

This study examined whether street food vendors sell a sufficient variety of foods for a healthful diet. It was hypothesized that vendors sold only low-cost food groups to enable the buyer to afford the food while the vendor also made a profit. A structured questionnaire was administered to 580 vendors in three selected locations. Data included product names, ingredients, methods of preparation, and the sex of the vendor. A little more than half of the vendors (53%) sold food of only one group; 44% sold cereals. Overall, 36% of vendors, mostly men, sold only carbohydrate products. The percentage of vendors selling foods of more than one group was higher in the working area (53%) than in the slum area (43%, p < .05), and it was higher in both of these areas taken together than in the lower-middle income area (21%, p < .001). Micronutrient and mixed-nutrient products were associated with female vendors. Although a slight majority of all street vendors sell foods of only one group, women vendors are capable of supplying a sufficient variety of food groups that consumers can afford. It appears that consumer purchasing power dictates the food groups provided by vendors, especially cereal-based-foods. A policy on micronutrient fortification of cereal flours and fats used in popular street food preparation needs to be considered. This could be coupled with consumer and vendor education programs focusing on the importance of healthful diets.