Hygienic and Sanitary Quality in Street Food Stalls Located in a University Sector of Barranquilla, Colombia

Foodborne diseases are one of the main public health problems worldwide, especially due to the consumption of foods that made with poor hygienic practices, such as those prepared on a public thoroughfare. Some factors that contribute to its contamination are the use of non-potable water, inadequate handling, cross-contamination and environmental contamination. This study aimed to perform a sanitary profile with the completion of a survey of 12 food stalls to evaluate their hygienic and sanitary quality and through observation. Four samples of food were taken from each stand, for a total of 48 samples such as hamburger, hot dog, pizza, meat empanada, stuffed potato, stuffed arepa, chicken skewer, chicken finger, fruit salad and orange juice. Coliforms, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were analyzed. 83.3% of the samples exceeded the acceptable limits of coliforms and in the 16.7%, it was detected Escherichia coli . No S. aureus was detected in any sample. Eighty-three point three percent of the vendors do not wear appropriate clothing, 75% use accessories and 83.3% do not use potable water for hand washing. Thirty-three point three percent of the stalls do not have surface with sanitary material, 100% do not have access to sanitary service and drinking water, 58.3% have the presence of animals in their surroundings, 50% have uncovered garbage containers, 91.7% store food at high temperatures and 100% do not have a sanitary authorization of operation. The lack of good hygiene practices in the food stalls on this public thoroughfare affects the quality and safety of food, making it a risk to the health of consumers.