Safety Assessment of Street Foods in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, Ghana

Abstract

Street foods provide a convenient diet for many people in developing countries with the consumption supporting the livelihood of several individuals. However, street food safety is a major global concern due to poor food handling and insanitary conditions that often lead to coliform bacteria contamination resulting in the outbreak of foodborne diseases. This paper analyses the microbial content of food served by food vendors in the Bolgatanga Municipality of Ghana, which has recorded high levels of foodborne diseases. Using a mixed research approach, and a cross-sectional design, a total of 150 food vendors were sampled from 10 communities within the Municipality. Food samples from the vendors were taken and subjected to microbial load analysis. Out of the 66 food samples tested, 42.4 percent recorded the presence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) with only six recording the presence of S. typhi (S. typhi). All the samples that were isolated for Escherichia coli (E. coli) had microbial loading of 1 and above, with the lowest recorded to be 1.6 ± 0.6 log CFU/g. The highest contamination by E. coli was in the samples of tomato sauce, followed by samples of rice balls and then by groundnut soup. The high microbial quality of the street foods sampled suggests that the safety of food vendors’ food handling practices was largely compromised and so most of the foods were contaminated above acceptable levels for consumption. The study recommends that food vendors should be educated on proper personal hygiene and to avoid making direct skin contact with food.

Public health concerns for food contamination in Ghana: A scoping review

“…Second, lack of infrastructure and facilities –12 [ 8 , 22 , 29 – 33 , 45 , 47 – 49 , 55 ], inadequate training –3 [ 30 , 35 , 51 ], inadequate monitoring and supervision –2 [ 48 , 50 ], hiring of inadequate personnel and others –1 [ 35 ] by the managers. Third, poor personal and food safety hygiene practices –26 [ 8 , 20 , 26 , 28 – 31 , 34 – 37 , 39 , 41 – 44 , 47 , 48 , 50 , 52 , 57 – 60 , 62 , 63 ], poor environmental sanitation –12 [ 8 , 26 , 30 , 36 , 42 , 44 , 45 , 49 , 50 , 53 , 58 , 62 ], inadequate knowledge and skills –5 [ 8 , 35 , 47 , 48 , 52 ], inadequate time and temperature controls –4 [ 26 , 31 , ...…”

“…First is bacteria: E . coli /faecal coliforms –11 [ 28 , 31 , 34 , 41 , 44 , 45 , 47 , 50 , 55 , 58 , 62 ], Staphylococcus aureus –8 [ 28 , 34 , 36 , 41 , 44 , 45 , 47 , 55 ], Salmonella spp –6 [ 31 , 41 , 47 , 50 , 58 , 59 ] –6, Bacillus cereus –5 [ 34 , 36 , 47 , 55 , 58 ], Mesophiles [ 36 , 62 ], Enterobacteriaceae [ 34 , 36 ], Cholera [ 37 , 51 ], and Typhoid [ 37 , 51 ] –2 each, Clostridium perfringens [ 34 ], Pseudomonas spp [ 55 ], Aureobasidium pullulans [ 42 ], Shigella spp [ 58 ], Diarrhoea [ 51 ], and Dysentery [ 37 ] –1 each. Second, Fungi: Yeast/Mould –2 [ 45 , 62 ], Fusarium oxysporu [ 50 ], Botrytis cineria [ 42 ], Alternaria alternate […”

“…The review further identified some measures required by the stakeholders (regulators, managers, food handlers, and consumers) in attaining a national food safety system in Ghana. First, enforcement –14 [ 31 , 33 , 35 , 41 , 45 , 46 , 48 – 51 , 54 , 56 , 58 , 63 ], public education –13 [ 20 , 26 , 27 , 29 , 30 , 38 , 41 , 46 , 47 , 50 , 51 , 56 , 60 ], training/ capacity building [ 8 , 35 , 39 , 40 , 48 , 57 ], monitoring and supervision [ 8 , 29 , 36 , 46 , 47 , 51 ], and surveillance/isolation of microbes and other elements [ 29 , 42 , 43 , 55 , 59 , 61 ] –6 each, punishment –4 [ 39 , 45 , 46 , 50 ], collaboration –2 [ 20 , 61 ], others –1 [ 20 ]. Second, the need to provide education and training –12 […”

“…Second, the need to provide education and training –12 [ 8 , 29 , 30 , 35 , 38 , 39 , 41 , 46 , 47 , 50 , 52 , 62 ], workplace policies and food safety culture –7 [ 20 , 29 , 32 , 36 , 44 , 52 , 57 ], provide facilities –6 [ 8 , 29 , 33 , 48 , 49 , 55 ], surveillance/isolation of microbes and other elements –5 [ 29 , 43 , 55 , 59 , 61 ], medical screening and motivation –2 [ 33 , 47 ], and others –1 [ 33 ]. Third, the need for improved personal/food hygiene among food handlers –13 [ 8 , 28 , 34 – 36 , 41 , 44 – 46 , 50 , 52 , 55 , 62 ], medical screening –2 [ 33 , 47 ], prevention of cross contamination [ 44 ], time and temperature control [ 46 ], and good sanitation [ 45 ] –1 each. Fourth, consumers need to observe personal/food hygiene –8 [ 28...…”

“…Third, the need for improved personal/food hygiene among food handlers –13 [ 8 , 28 , 34 – 36 , 41 , 44 – 46 , 50 , 52 , 55 , 62 ], medical screening –2 [ 33 , 47 ], prevention of cross contamination [ 44 ], time and temperature control [ 46 ], and good sanitation [ 45 ] –1 each. Fourth, consumers need to observe personal/food hygiene –8 [ 28 , 34 , 35 , 41 , 44 – 46 , 62 ], prevention of cross contamination [ 44 ], time and temperature control [ 46 ], and consumer pressure [ 36 ] –1 each.…”