Basic steps to improve safety of street-vended food

International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN)
30 June 2010
INFOSAN Information Note No. 3/2010 - Safety of street-vended food
Basic steps to improve safety of street-vended food
SUMMARY NOTES
• The street food sector plays an important role in providing accessible, low-cost meals for
urban populations, particularly those in many developing countries.
• Contamination of street food by chemical and microbiological pathogens is believed to be a
significant contributor to foodborne diseases.
• Poor environmental sanitation, inadequate infrastructure and improper food handling are
the main risk factors associated with street foods
• Greater awareness of vendors of the basic principles and measures necessary to ensure
food safety, offers one of the most cost effective options for reducing health risks posed by
street foods.
• The WHO Five Keys to Safer Food have been adopted for the street food sector and
should be considered for use as the basis for training of vendors in all countries.
Introduction
Street foods are sold in almost every country in the world. The FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius
Commission defines “street-vended foods” or its shorter equivalent “street foods” as ready-to-eat
foods prepared and/or sold by vendors and hawkers especially in the streets and other public
places (CAC-GL 22 rev.1, 1999). While street foods are an important source of ready-to-eat
nutritious, low-cost meals for the urban poor, the health risk posed by such foods may outweigh
their benefits. This note is intended to provide an update on current approaches to improving the
safety of street foods while still making them available to the population.
Street food sector
Street foods show great variation in terms of ingredients, processing, methods of marketing and
consumption. They often reflect traditional local cultures and exist in an endless variety
encompassing meals, drinks and snacks. There is much diversity in the raw materials as well as in
the method of preparation of street foods. In addition, there are differences in the places where
street foods are prepared and can be broadly grouped as follows:
a) Food prepared in small-scale food factories or traditional workshops;
b) Food prepared in the home;
c) Food prepared in markets; and
d) Food prepared on the street.
These categories reflect a growing difficulty to provide adequate infrastructure and environmental
hygiene to ensure the safe production of food. In many countries, street foods are prepared in
markets and particularly food markets. WHO has developed specific guidance for these situations
under its Healthy Food Market initiative, which also address the potential risks posed by avian
influenza (WHO, 2006). However, it should be emphasized that safe food can be prepared on the
street if appropriate food handling measures are observed. For example, food cooked to 70 ° C and
consumed piping hot poses little or no risk from pathogenic microorganisms, regardless of sanitary
conditions of the environment.
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The types of street food operations and their times of operation vary in different regions of the
world. In terms of mode of selling, vendors can be generally classified as either stationary or
ambulatory. Although there are no official statistics, in many countries stationary vending stalls
may be permanent or semi-permanent structures. Ambulatory vending operations may include
carts, bicycles, vans or vendors may simply carry their wares.
Street food has become an important part of diet for many people as such food is easily accessible
and affordable. It also plays an important role in providing employment opportunities for millions of
men and women with limited education or skills, especially as the initial investment is low.
Need to improve street foods
The street food sector has become an important component of food distribution system in many
cities in both developing and industrialized countries, particularly for midday meals. However,
certain street-vended food can pose significant risk to consumers due to microbiological
contamination. The risk is dependent primarily on the type of food, the method of preparation and
the manner in which it is held before consumption (WHO, 1996). Laboratory analysis of samples of
certain street-vended foods have shown high levels of total coliforms and in some cases, the
presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureas, Clostridium
perfringens, and Vibrio cholera (Hanoshiro, et al, 2004;Ghosh et al, 2007).
Street food has often been associated with travellers’ diarrhoea. Therefore, improvements in the
safety of street food can not only improve public health, but also foster the development of the
tourist sector (Oyemade et al, 1998; Ghosh et al, 2007). Besides communicating the hazards of
street food, tourists should also be reminded of their role in avoiding foodborne diseases. By
following some basic rules, tourists can enjoy the local street-vended food and avoid becoming ill.
In this regard, the WHO Guide on Safe Food for Travellers can be used to educate consumers on
how to protect themselves and their families from foodborne illness (WHO, 2007).
In addition to microbial hazards, street foods can become contaminated with high levels of toxic
chemicals including pesticide residues, heavy metals, mycotoxins and unapproved food additives,
such as textile dyes. Contaminants may also enter the food under the street conditions where dust
and vehicular traffic raise pollution levels.
In many countries, laws covering food safety and environmental hygiene have been enacted.
These may be manifested in regulations and codes of practice to address street-vended food. For
example, Thailand’s Department of Health has developed a ten point code of practice for vendors,
which is used comprehensively by urban authorities (FAO, 1994). However, most countries do not
have specific regulations on street food safety. When such regulations exist, enforcement is a
major problem considering the large number of street food vendors, and the fact that, for certain
types of vendors, their mobility makes them difficult, if not impossible, to control.
WHO and FAO have developed numerous programmes to improve the safety of street-vended
food .There are many safety requirements that have been laid down by the Codex Alimentarius
Commission to provide guidance for governments on food safety measures specifically addressed
to street food vendors (Codex, 1999 and 2001). Unfortunately much of this advice has been
difficult to implement, particularly in regard to the provision of infrastructure.
Educating vendors on food safety
Vendors are often poorly educated and untrained in food safety. They often work under unsanitary
conditions with little or no infrastructure support. However research has shown that the majority of
food-related illnesses and death could be controlled, or eliminated, by the use of proper food
handling techniques (Haply and Probart, 2004). Therefore, education and training of street-food
vendors may offer the most cost-effective way to reduce the incidence of foodborne disease. While
some countries have conducted training programmes to educate vendors on food safety, the
development of training materials for vendors has to be tailored to meet their needs and situations.
Recently the Five Keys of Safer Food have been successfully utilized in an evidence-based
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training programme for the vendors to improve their food handling practices (Eric et al, 2009). In
2009 WHO published a Train the trainer course on the Five Keys to Safer Food which builds upon
the safe food handling behaviours developed for the Five Keys to Safer Food Poster
(http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/consumer/5keys/en) and the concepts of the
Communications for Behavioural Impact (COMBI) method. COMBI is a communication method
developed by WHO that asks individuals to assess their current knowledge and behaviours, and
supports healthy behaviours providing incentives for the adoption of new healthy behaviours when
necessary. The first module of the Train the Trainer course, pilot tested in South Africa, Tunisia
and Belize, is directed to women, as women play an important role in the production and
preparation of safe food, particularly in developing countries, The course is available at
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/consumer/keys_training/en.
FAO has also implemented a number of capacity building programmes targeting vendors and food
control officials with a view to improve the whole street-food chain, including the design of
appropriate and efficient control measures. An additional training resource package, including a
manual for trainers and posters for stimulating discussions with vendors has been prepared by
FAO, based on field experience accumulated in the projects over the last 15 years. These are
available in English and French (with a specific focus on Africa), available at:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/a0740e/a0740e00.htm and in Spanish (with a specific focus on
Latin America), available at: http://www.rlc.fao.org/es/inocuidad/pdf/higiene.pdf.
Adapting the Five Keys to Safer Food to address the street food sector
The measures described below have been developed for use in training street-food vendors based
on the principles of the Five Keys to Safer Food. Each key message is followed by a number of
possible specific measures that should be tailored to the conditions of the operation, the food
commodities being sold and the specific factors of the food vendors themselves. Such training
would enable vendors to implement good hygienic practices based on an understanding of these
some basic messages.
Key1. Keep clean
� Keep vending unit and location clean - especially all working surfaces should be made of
impermeable, easy to clean material and kept well above the ground.
� Vending location should be away from rubbish, toilets, open drains and animals.
� Waste bins with lid should be used and emptied on a regular basis.
� Basic infrastructure to promote sanitation, e.g. toilets, hand washing facilities, safe water
supplies and drainage should be accessible.
� Food should be protected from dust, insects, dirt and direct sun.
Why?
Harmful microorganisms may be carried on hands, utensils and waste containers. In the
environment animals dust and polluted water may also carry germs.
Key 2. Raw and cooked food should be separated
� Keep raw food, especially raw meat, poultry and fish, separate from cooked food.
� Use separate utensils – separate knives and cutting boards should be used for handling
raw and cooked food.
� Try to use utensils, such as, tongs, scoops, spoons, small cup, tissue paper or clean gloves
when handling ready-to-eat food or ice used in drinks.
� Wash hands with soap and water after going to the toilet, after touching contaminated
objects, such as, money, leftover food, garbage and handkerchiefs, after touching hair,
nose or other parts of the body. Do not use dirty wiping clothes to wipe your hands
� Take care with health and hygiene;
a) Wear a clean light coloured apron.
b) Avoid wearing accessories, such as, rings, bracelets and watches.
c) Observe good personal hygienic practices, such as, short fingernails, taking a daily
shower, keeping short hair or gathered into a cap or a scarf, refraining from
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preparing/handling food when showing symptoms of diseases such as skin rash,
boils and cuts, running nose, eye and ear infections and diarrhoea.
d) Avoid bad habits during preparation/serving food, such as, smoking or chewing
tobacco, nose picking, coughing and sneezing, spitting over food, tasting food with
your fingers.
Why?
Raw food, especially meat poultry and seafood and their juices as well as live animals and food
waste, usually contain disease-causing microorganisms. These microorganisms can be transferred
to other foods during food handling, preparation and storage. Therefore, proper hygienic behaviour,
particularly frequent and thorough hand washing, remains the first line of defence in preventing
foodborne disease.
Key 3. Destroy hazards when possible
� Cook food thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, eggs and seafood, to at least 70° C.
� When meat and poultry is cooked it should be colourless without pinkish appearance.
Ideally, use a thermometer.
� Soups and stews should be boiled for at least 2 minutes.
� Keep cooked foods piping hot until served.
� Reheat cooked food thoroughly.
Why?
Proper cooking kills almost all dangerous microorganisms, and destroys certain toxins. Studies
have shown that cooking food to a temperature of 70° C can help ensure it is safe for
consumption
Key 4. Keep microorganisms in food from growing
� Do not leave cooked foods at ambient temperature for more than 2 hours, Refrigerate
promptly all cooked and perishable food (best below 5° C).
� In situations where refrigeration facilities are limited it is ideal to prepare food in small
quantities to reduce the amount of leftovers.
� If food must be prepared in advance, or if there are leftovers or if food needs to be
transported some distance from one location to another, be sure to store the food either hot
(best above 60° C) or cold (best below 5° C).
Why?
Microorganisms can multiply quickly if food is stored at room temperature. By holding at
temperatures below 5° C or above 60° C, the growth of microorganisms is slowed down or
stopped.
Key 5. Use safe water and raw material
� Use safe water. If you have doubts about the water supply, boil it before adding it to food. If
you use ice for drinks, make sure the water is from a safe source.
� Ensure that food supplied is from safe and reliable sources.
� If you use food additives, make sure they are authorized and used in the proper amounts.
� Select sound and undamaged fresh foods. Avoid mouldy food.
� Pay attention to expiry date.
� Wash (and peel if applicable) fruits and vegetables, especially if they are to be eaten raw or
with little cooking.
Why?
Raw materials including water and ice may be contaminated with dangerous microorganisms and
chemicals. Toxic chemicals may be formed in damaged and mouldy foods. Care in selection of raw
materials and simple measures, such as washing and peeling may reduce these risks.
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Awareness raising and partnership
Taking action with others is more effective than taking action alone. To foster the exchange and
reapplication of practical food safety knowledge among Member States. WHO has created a
common space on the Five Keys to Safer Food web page to enable countries and partners to have
access to the tools to deliver the Five Keys messages produced in different parts of the world
(http://www.who.int/foodsafety/consumer/5keys/en/index2.html).
WHO envision that this will serve as a useful practical interface, which will help trainers to design
their own training programmes according to the target audience and their situation, and thus
promote safety of street-vended food. WHO will appreciate receiving feedback from the countries
that have adopted theses measures to their training needs. The contribution from countries would
also help refine the WHO training course by identifying best-practices by both responsible urban
authorities and vendors themselves that can contribute to the safety of these important foods.
References
1. Donkor ES, et al. 2009. Application of the WHO Keys of Safer Food to Improve Food
Handling Practices of Food Vendors in a Poor Resource Community in Ghana. Int. J.
Environ. Res. Public Health. 2009;Nov;6(11):2833-42. Epub 2009 Nov 13.
2. FAO. 1989. Street foods. Report of an FAO Expert Consultation, Jogjakarta, Indonesia, 5-9
December 1988. FAO Food Nutr. Pap. 1989;46:1-96.
3. Ghosh M, et al. 2007. Prevalence of enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella
spp. in some raw street vended Indian food. Int. J. Environ. Health Res. 2007
Apr;17(2):151-6.
4. Hanashiro A, et al. 2004. Microbiological quality of selected street foods from a restricted
area of São Paulo city, Brazil. Food Control. 2005 Jun;16(5):439-44.
5. Oyemade A, et al. 1998, Environmental and personal hygiene practices: risk factors for
diarrhoea among children of Nigerian market women. J. Diarrhoeal Dis. Res. 1998
Dec;16(4):241-7.
6. WHO. 2007, A Guide on Safe Food for Travellers.
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/consumer/travellers/en
7. Codex. 1999. Revised Regional Guidelines for the Design of Control Measures for Street-
Vended Foods in Africa. CAC/GL-22 - Rev. 1 (1999).
8. Codex. 2001. Code of Hygienic Practice for the Preparation and Sale of Street Foods
(Regional Code – Latin America and the Caribbean). CAC/RCP 43-1997, Rev. 1-2001.
9. FAO. 2009. Good Hygienic practices in the preparation and sale of street foods in Africa,
tools for training.
10. FAO. 2009. Buenas prácticas de higiene en la preparación y venta de los alimentos en la
vía pública en América Latina y el Caribe.
11. WHO. 1996. Essential Safety Requirements for Street-vended Food. Unpublished
document WHO/FNU/FOS 96.7 Revised edition, Geneva.
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/fs_management/en/streetvend.pdf
12. WHO. 2006. A Guide to Healthy Food Markets. Geneva.
http://www.who.int/foodsafety/capacity/healthy_marketplaces/en/index.html
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