Assessment of Food Hygiene and Safety Knowledge and Practices among Street Food Vendors in Mowe Town of Ogun State, Nigeria
Abstract:
Street food is a major source of affordable cooked
food in developing countries, including Nigeria, yet it remains a significant public
health concern due to the risk of food borne illnesses. Poor food handling
practices increase the likelihood of contamination with biological, chemical
and physical hazards. This study assessed food hygiene and safety knowledge and
practices among 103 street food vendors in Mowe town of Ogun State, Nigeria
using a cross-sectional descriptive survey involving structured questionnaires
and interviews. Most vendors (73.79 %) were females, and over half (54.37 %)
were aged 18 to 35 years. Secondary education was the most common qualification
(32.04 %), and (42.72 %) were married. The mean food hygiene and safety
knowledge/awareness score was 69.42 %, while the mean food hygiene and safety
practice score was lower at 54.53 %. Chi-square test (χ²(1) = 0.71, p = 0.398)
showed no statistically significant association between knowledge/awareness and
food handling practices, although this finding should be interpreted cautiously
given the small proportion of respondents with inadequate awareness. The findings
suggest that knowledge alone may not consistently translate into safe food
handling practices, with implications for more targeted training for vendors
and regulators, supported by enabling environments, supervision, compliance
monitoring, and regulatory oversight. Strengthened intergovernmental
collaboration may also support sustainable improvements in street food safety.
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