Masters Degrees (Health Systems and Public Health)
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Browsing Masters Degrees (Health Systems and Public Health) by browse.metadata.advisor "English, R."
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- ItemAn investigation into the hygiene practices and food safety of street vendors outside pension pay-out points in urban poor communities in the City of Cape Town(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Rohith, Shamiska; Barnes, J. M.; English, R.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Global Health. Health Systems and Public Health.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Street vended food is an affordable form of sustenance in many developing countries like South Africa. They provide urban low-income communities with an essential food supply chain. Social grants are used to purchase street foods sold by vendors who are strategically located at pension pay-out points. Food products sold by street vendors can be seen as a public health issue affecting the health and well-being of the low-income urban communities. Street Food Vendors (SFVs) may operate without due regard for the basic requirements critical to the hygienic preparation and storage of foods. A few studies on street vended foods have been performed in Gauteng and the Free State, however, there is a paucity of data within the Western Cape. A cross-sectional study was performed to obtain demographic information on SFVs present at pension points within selected lower-income urban areas in the city of Cape Town and to concurrently assess their knowledge on food safety. Food, water and swab samples of surfaces were collected and tested for their microbiological safety expressed as the Total Microbial Activity (TMA) and Colony Forming Units (CFU). A questionaire was also sent to the Environmental Health Practitoners (EHPs) to assess their needs and challenges. A reported 68% of the SFVs in the study were female and 40% of the street vendors lived in informal dwellings. A reported 52% of the SFVs prepared their foods at the stall, 32% at home and the stall; but only 20% had access to ablution facilities at the stall. The street vendors who cooked foods over a wood fire comprised 64%, and 12% reported having resold leftovers. With regards to washing up, 60% were unsure about the frequency of changing the washing-up water and 12% did not wash their utensils. It is of concern that 32% of the SFVs did not wear any protective clothing. The Total Microbial Activity (TMA) activity for most of the food and water samples showed some very high counts (>100000), which is an indication of food spoilage and potential bacterial growth. The samples of hot food showed no growth, but the water samples showed the presence of a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. The swab samples were only tested for E. coli of which, 3 vendors tested positive (<103) for E. coli on their hands. Thirtyone percent of the swabs from various surfaces at the food stalls indicated that the hygiene levels posed a risk. Food safety knowledge of SFVs was found to be deficient in certain areas as 60% did not understand the importance of using safe products and 36% did not know the safe storage temperatures of cooked foods. It is compulsory to have certification to operate as a street vendor, but 80% of SFVs did not. SFVs (52%) did acknowledge that there were inspections by EHPs. In conclusion, the samples of hot foods were safe to consume but the hygiene of the street vendors is questionable, as indicated by the quality of the water and swab samples. SFVs require further food safety and hygiene training, proper supervision as well as access to basic facilities.