Abstract

Background/Objectives: Street food vending is a common feature in many parts of Nigeria. It’s a means of livelihood for many families. For some students or workers who get up early and arrive at their destinations, street foods are veritable sources of their meals while at their
schools or workplaces. Eating food cooked by street food vendors poses health challenges, such as food poisoning, due to unhygienic food preparation and storage practices. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of hygiene and hygienic food practices by food vendors in Calabar
Municipality, Nigeria.

Methods/Subjects: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed to obtain information from 121 food vendors within the study area.

Results: Our study showed that 91(75%) of the respondents had good knowledge of hygienic practices relating to food handling. A Majority, 65 (53.7%) of them had good knowledge of foodborne illnesses, while 97(80.2%) of them knew about the symptoms of food poisoning. However, only sixty-two (51%) of the respondents observed good food storage practices.

Conclusion: Most respondents had good knowledge of hygienic food preparation; however, 51% of them exercised good food storage practices. This study revealed inadequate monitoring and supervision of the food vendors by relevant health officers. Environmental health
officers should be involved in carrying out regular supervisory visits to ensure that these food vendors maintain food safety standards. Additionally, establishing a registration portal for food vendors within the Municipality would ensure organised, regular supervisory visits and training on food safety practices.

Key words: knowledge, practice, food hygiene, food vendors, Nigeria.