Abstract
Background: Street food is "prepared foods and beverages sold and prepared in streets and other public places by vendors or hawkers". Street foods provide sustenance for a substantial portion of the developing world's population. Approximately one billion people consume street food daily, benefiting millions of low-income individuals and contributing significantly to the economy. However, because most vendors lack formal education, they are incapable of understanding the most important food handling practices, leaving consumers to bear the consequences of consuming unsafe food.
Objective: This main objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of street food vendors on food safety and hygiene in Umzimvubu Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province.
Methods: The quantitative descriptive study design was utilized, and the questionnaire served as the instrument for collecting data from 145 street food vendors. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.
Results: A total of 145 street food vendors participated in the study. A chi-square test was used to assess the association of street food vendors’ familiarity with food hygiene and safety. The chi square showed more females at 61,30% as opposed to males at 38,5%.
To ascertain the food hygiene practices of street food vendors a chi-square test was used at a 5% significance level, and it showed that only aprons are associated with the gender of the business owner, as 64% of males are using aprons while the remainder are not. With regards to females, only 45% of the females are using aprons.
Conclusion: The study indicates that street food vendors in Umzimvubu Local Municipality do not have adequate information regarding the tenets of food hygiene and safety are not attuned to the need to ensure safe food practices. Further training is essential to ensure food safety and hygiene.