Food Safety and Hygienic Practices Among Street Food Vendors in Ife East Local Government Area Osun State, Nigeria

This study examined the food safety and hygienic practices among street food vendors in Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with specific objectives. The objectives evaluated the knowledge of food safety regulations among streets food vendors, assessed the hygienic practices and conditions of street food vending sites in ife east local government: investigated the challenges faced by street food vendors in implementing food safety and hygiene practices among the population and suggested strategies to improve food safety practices among food vendors in ife East. Four (4) research questions were formulated for the study. The population of the study consisted of all street food vendors in ife East LGA of Osun State. One hundred respondents were selected for this study. Simple random sampling technique was used and structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The results of the analysis revealed that food vendors do not wear protective clothing such as apron and gloves and they do not wash hands regularly during food preparation and generally they do not practice good hygiene. It also reveals that they do not have access to quality water supply. This work recommended that efforts should be made to improve access to clean water and sanitation facilities for street food vendors, Regular inspections of street food vending sites should be conducted to ensure compliance with food safety regulations and there should be programs that covers basic food safety principles, including proper food handling, storage, and hygiene practices.