Perception of street food safety among the street food vendors in an urban community in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Background: Street food is an important component of the informal food distribution sector in developing countries, and poses a high risk of developing enteric diseases. We conducted a study in an urban community in Bangladesh to understand perception of the street food vendors about street food safety, and assessed microbial quality of street food. Methods: We generated an inventory of mobile street food vendors working in the community and identified five “popular” vendor types including ice cream seller, pre-cut fruit seller, pickle seller, buttermilk seller and juice sellers. We conducted in-depth interviews with five vendors under each vendor types, and obtained samples of foods and hand wash for assessment of fecal coliforms in laboratory. Results: All vendors were male with a median age of 36 (range 14-60) years; nineteen vendors (76%) never went to school. All vendors perceived that dirty or stale food causes illness; proper cleaning of ingredients before and covering food after preparation make street food safe. All vendors used non potable water to prepare food. Food specimens and hand washes obtained from all vendors, except pickle seller, demonstrated uncountable fecal coliform growth. Conclusions: Street foods are highly contaminated by sewerage (fecal coliform) and vendors bear poor perception about street food safety. Use of non potable water may be a potential source of fecal contamination in street foods and hands of the vendors. Evidence of no contamination in pickle despite suggests further enquiry to identify appropriate public heath interventions for the mobile street food vendors in urban Dhaka.