Food safety practices of street vendors and microbial contamination of the night market foods in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Abdulsudi  Issa-Zacharia; Aziza Nassoro Omari; Davis Naboth Chaula; Zenorina Aloyce  Swai

doi:10.18502/jfsh.v11i3.21337

Abdulsudi Issa-Zacharia Department of Food Science and Agro-processing, School of Engineering and Technology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Aziza Nassoro Omari Department of Food Science and Agro-processing, School of Engineering and Technology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Davis Naboth Chaula Department of Food Science and Agro-processing, School of Engineering and Technology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Zenorina Aloyce Swai Department of Food Science and Agro-processing, School of Engineering and Technology, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jfsh.v11i3.21337

Keywords: Food safety; Salads; Food contamination; Escherichia coli; Principal component analysis

Abstract

Street food vendors nourish billions every day and boost the informal economy. Nevertheless, streetvended foods present considerable public health hazards owing to substandard cleanliness and insufficient food safety protocols. This study aimed to investigate the food safety practices of night market vendors in Morogoro Municipality and to evaluate the levels of microbiological contamination in selected street foods offered at night markets. A cross-sectional study conducted from April to August 2024 in Morogoro Municipality assessed 256 night-market street vendors using structured questionnaires and observational checklists. An experimental approach was employed to examine 200 food samples (barbecue, fried chicken, rice dishes, french fries, and salads) collected in eight different locations in five replications for microbial contamination. The results indicated inadequate adherence to food safety protocols, with 82% of vendors without valid medical certificates, 84.7% neglecting hand hygiene, and 76.1% not storing perishables at acceptable and safe temperatures. Salads samples exhibited the highest contamination, with a mean total coliform count (TCC) of 4.05×104 cfu/g and total viable count (TVC) of 7.22×104 cfu/g, both exceeding safety limits. Escherichia coli (20%) and Staphylococcus spp. (22.5%) were the most frequent isolates, particularly in salads, chips and fried chicken, while S. warneri, S. succinus, and Aerococcus viridans occurred rarely. Salmonella spp. was absent in all analyzed food samples. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) established that vendor compliance is driven by four independent factors (Core Hygiene, Barrier Use, Environmental Management, and Infrastructure Support), with the Core Hygiene cluster being the most significant. These findings highlight critical gaps in food safety practices and underscore the need for targeted interventions to mitigate contamination risks.