Although well known, Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that remains widely studied because of its high pathogenic potential and its ability to develop resistance to antibiotics routinely used in clinical practice. The present study investigated the occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hamburgers and sandwiches sold in supermarkets and fast food outlets in Salvador, BA, Brazil. Fifty samples of frozen raw hamburgers (25: beef and 25: chicken) and 50 samples of ready-to-eat sandwiches (25: beef and 25: chicken) were collected and investigated for the presence of MRSA. MRSA was present in 32% of the hamburgers and 8% of the sandwiches. The frequency of MRSA was higher in the samples containing chicken meat. However, the statistical analysis showed no association between MRSA presence and the type of meat investigated (P > 0.05). The high prevalence of MRSA in hamburgers and the presence of the microorganism in ready-to-eat sandwiches are worrying and indicate the need for better control during food preparation to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Public management of street food is a challenge in many countries. In Colombia, despite the extent of the economic, social, and food contributions of the segment and the concern from the public health perspective, the amount of research on the subject still remains insufficient. Thus, this study aimed to establish a panorama of the street food trade in Colombia, considering its mode of operation, food security, and regulatory context, based on the scientific literature published between 2000 and 2018. A literature review was carried out in the Medline, SciELO, LILACS, Scopus, Redalyc, and Google Scholar databases, as well as in the University of Colombia's institutional repositories and scientific books. A set of 19 publications were selected and evaluated for three dimensions—work and culture, food safety, and regulation—according to the objectives and methodologies applied. In category 1, relative to work and culture, five studies were retrieved (26.3%), highlighting the economic and social contribution of the sector and the protection of food cultural heritage. Category 2, referring to hygiene and microbiological safety in the activity, covers 11 publications (57.9%) and comprised the largest research field of interest in the country. Among the food pathogens surveyed, Salmonella spp. were the most investigated, registering nonconformity in the samples (6.55%). Category 3, with three articles (15.8%), covered public policies and regulation of the segment, highlighting the challenges to regulating the sector and the need for intersectional articulation in administrative policies. The results confirm both the relevance of the segment to food security and the concern with microbiological hazards, demanding strategies to improve its regulation and functioning in the country, with the aim of protecting the health of consumers. HIGHLIGHTS

A comida de rua é um fenômeno mundial, notando-se insuficiência de estudos com consumidores. Assim, este estudo buscou caracterizar as práticas de consumo e a percepção de higiene e riscos de consumidores de comida de rua, no Centro Histórico de Cartagena, Colômbia. Realizou-se estudo transversal, com aplicação de questionário, junto a 90 consumidores. Na amostra, predominaram homens (70%), com idade até 24 anos (32,2%) e ensino superior completo (46,6%). Para 70%, o consumo da comida de rua ocorria desde a infância; 57,7% adquiriam-na, pelo menos, semanalmente, revelando o hábito. Os principais motivos para aquisição foram o fácil acesso (41,1%) e o gosto/prazer (38,3%), com maior probabilidade de consumo (0,929) por mulheres de menor escolaridade. Frituras (51,1%) e frutas (26,6%) foram os alimentos mais consumidos – houve maior probabilidade do consumo de frituras por mulheres, menores de 24 anos, com baixa renda (0,8733), e do consumo de frutas por homens, maiores de 60 anos (0,8502). Para 94,4%, os alimentos poderiam oferecer riscos à saúde; 52% confiam “às vezes” na qualidade e higiene das frutas. Para 81%, a venda de comida de rua gerava trabalho e renda. O estudo revela a importância alimentar e social do segmento, demandando atenção pública para seu melhor funcionamento.