Microbial Contamination of Street-vended Ready-to-eat (Rte) Meat-based Foods in Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

Street food businesses have evolved from disorderly, substandard trading to sustainable, significant informal sector businesses. This sector is becoming increasingly significant in the economies of many African countries because of weak economic progress caused by several factors. Despite being associated with numerous socio-economic advantages, the sector has been identified as a possible health hazard resulting from inadequate food hygiene and safety practices during food preparation and serving. This study aimed to investigate the microbial contamination levels of various ready-to-eat (RTE) meat-based street foods in Kiambu County, Kenya. Additionally, the study evaluated the food safety knowledge and practices of street food vendors in the area. The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design coupled with laboratory analysis of 288 food samples purchased from 258 street food vendors through a purposive random sampling method. A structured questionnaire and observation checklist were used to gather data on the food hygiene knowledge and practices of the vendors. Data collected from the research was coded and accurately inputted into programming sheets of IBM SPSS Statistics 25 and Microsoft Excel 2016 for analysis. The analysis revealed a 61.6% overall occurrence of microbial contamination. The mean total viable count (TVC) and coliform count in all the food samples were 4.9×106 CFU/g and 2.1×103 CFU/g, respectively. Samples of roasted meat exhibited the highest mean TVC and total coliforms, which were 5.7×106 CFU/g and 3.1×103 CFU/g, respectively. The highest TVC (6.2×106 CFU/g) and total coliform counts (3.7×103 CFU/g) were observed in the Kikuyu sub-county. Total Staphylococcus aureus mean counts were 5.4×105 CFU/g, with roasted meat having the highest count of 5.7×105 CFU/g. While total Clostridium perfringens count ranged from < 20 CFU/g to TNTC (too numerous to count). The one-way ANOVA (95% confidence interval) results showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) in the total microbial counts among

the food samples tested. A significant difference (P <0.001) was found in the total Staphylococcus aureus count between sub-counties. The results of the microbial quality of food samples indicated that 51.7% and 44.8% of the total food samples were unsatisfactory based on TVC and total Staphylococcus aureus counts, while 80.2% were satisfactory based on total coliforms and total Clostridium perfringes counts. The overall occurrence of total coliforms in the study was 26.4%. E. coli was identified in 17% of the total food samples, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus in 2.8%, and Clostridium perfringens in 17% of the total food samples. Street food vendors practised minimal hygiene and sanitation. Only 24% of the vendors wore aprons and hair caps, 36.4% wore jewellery, and 91.5% handled food and money without washing their hands between servicing. Over 58.1% of vendors served food with their bare hands, and a majority (64.7%) did not have refrigerators to store foodstuffs. Three-thirds (32.2%) of the vendors disposed of wastewater in the selling area, while 36.4% poured the wastewater on the streets just near the vending area. The presence of flies was observed among 49.2% of the vendors, and a few (9.7% and 14%) vendors operated near garbage areas and sewage drainage. A vast majority (78.3%) were untrained in food hygiene and safety, 76% did not undergo medical examinations, 57.4% were unlicensed and 79.8% were unaware of foodborne diseases. Wearing jewellery, the source of raw meat, and water were significantly associated with food contamination (P < 0.05). The study's findings indicate poor food safety knowledge and practices among street food vendors and a high rate (61.6%) of microbial contamination of the selected street-vended RTE meat-based foods in Kiambu County. Therefore, local authorities should improve the regulatory framework and create opportunities for street food vendors to operate legally and safely to improve the quality and safety requirements of street-vended RTE foods