Food sanitation of salad vending in the markets of Naypyitaw, Myanmar

Abstract

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted to determine knowledge and hygienic practices of street food vendors and attitude of customers and to find out the factors related to street food Salad safety in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Two structured questionnaires were used to interview 46 vendors and 250 customers, and a set of observational check-list was used for checking vending establishments' sanitation and vendors' practices. Coliform SI-2 test kits were used to analyze microbial quality of salad from participating vendors. Descriptive results were presented in number and percentages. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regressions were used to analyze the association between independent and outcome variables. The results revealed that vendors' knowledge was significantly associated with licensed status and their practices. Also, licensed status had significant relationship with vendors' hygienic practices. Further, vendors' hygienic practice was also significantly associated with their age group. The significant factor which had relationship with microbial quality was vendors' environmental hygienic and food handling practices. Among the environmental hygienic and food handling practices, proper vending protection method was the factor that most influenced microbial quality (p-value <0.01). On the customers' side, both customers' perception on vending practices and awareness on foodborne illness could be predicted by their education level at p-value <0.05. Therefore, authority's administration and interventions should be strictly implemented. Also, food safety knowledge should be provided to unlicensed street food vendors. Awareness campaign especially on foodborne diseases, causes, and their consequences and personal hygienic practices must be conducted.