Introduction

In this article, street food or ready-to-eat (RTE) food refers to foods and drinks prepared and/or sold by vendors on the street and other public places, to consume without further cooking. Non-ready-to-eat (NRTE) foods, refer to raw ingredients for home cooking, sold in informal markets. In many African cities like Maputo, Mangaung, and Jigjiga, studies have shown that food sold in street markets often faces hygiene challenges. Common bacteria such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and coliforms usually come from poor hygiene, unsafe handling, and cross-contamination. These can cause illnesses ranging from mild stomach upset to severe infection if left untreated. Still, street markets remain the main food source for many low-income families because they offer lower prices than supermarkets. Knowing the risks and practising safe food habits like choosing clean stalls, eating freshly cooked meals, and washing hands before eating can greatly reduce health risks.

Hygiene

Most food contamination is related to poor personal hygiene among food handlers or poor cleaning and disinfection practices in places where meals are prepared or consumed. Although it might be impossible to precisely confirm which places have better hygiene than others, some signs may help to select the safest place to buy your food.

Watch

Walk around the place where you intend to buy, and watch. Are there flies or cockroaches at sight? Those pests love leftovers and filth, so places that are attractive to them are not good for you. Does it look untidy or dirty? It’s probably worse under the stall or in the kitchen, where you can’t check. Do workers’ cloths look dirty? Probably, they are wiping their hands on their uniforms instead of washing them, or working messily, or not changing their uniforms daily. Any of these is a feast for microbial proliferation.

Smell the Air

Bad smells are a sign of inadequate cleaning and disinfection or food decomposition. Street food is the most hazardous because it won’t be subject to any subsequent process to reduce potential contamination. Some foods are more likely to suffer contamination than others. Namely recipes containing high-risk ingredients such as seafood, minced meat, rare meat and fish, mayonnaise, raw or undercooked eggs, improperly preserved milk and its derivatives (cream, ice cream and soft cheeses), and raw fruit and vegetables, added after cooking or served on side. Food left unprotected and at ambient temperature for more than one hour and drinks containing ice, raw vegetables or fruits and milk or cream are also frequent sources of food poisoning. Hence, to keep safe opt for food that is cooked in the moment, decline the use of raw ingredients (such as parsley, mayonnaise, and mint) to top or decorate your food, and avoid high-risk foods (such as hand-made burgers, meals, desserts and drinks containing raw eggs or raw vegetables and fruits, such as strawberries, lettuce, arugula, cucumber, and watercress). 

Market Safety Tips at Home

Regarding ingredients to cook at home, the most important thing is to confirm that they are safely preserved and displayed. Although this food is intended to cook, which reduces contamination, if they are poorly handled or preserved, resistant forms of microorganisms and heat-resistant toxins may develop on it. When that happens, the food may harm you, no matter how well you cook it. Therefore, buy food that is in its original package or otherwise protected from external contamination by people, animals or waste, and is properly labelled and stored including at the correct temperature. For example, pieces of frozen chicken that have been removed from their packaging to be sold individually may seem like a good solution, but they are highly likely to be seriously contaminated. Similarly, fruits and vegetables laid on the floor, where people, rats, and other animals may pass, are highly likely to be contaminated, including dangerous bacteria from rat urine and from animal faeces. At home, fruit and vegetables should be washed and, those to consume raw, disinfected, preferably before storage to avoid fridge contamination. Meat, fish, eggs and, other perishable products, must always be storage in the fridge (or in the freezer if the products are frozen) and as for short a period as possible. If that is not possible, buy only the quantity for the day.

Conclusion

Street food and non-ready-to-eat food sold in traditional markets are attractive because of their low price. However, studies in three different African countries have shown that there is a high probability of contamination of food available in informal markets. Therefore, when buying in those places people must be aware of potential risks and adopt practices that promote safe choices. 

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