Factors associated with food safety knowledge and practice among street food vendors in Taunggyi township, Myanmar : a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Food safety is a growing public health concern worldwide. Street food is a major element of food safety concerns since, especially in developing countries, it is where street food is an integral part of the culture offering easy access to food with affordable price. Food safety knowledge and practices of street food vendors is, therefore, essential to ensure safe food and prevent food borne disease outbreaks. This cross-sectional study investigated the level of food safety knowledge and practices as well as their associate factors among street food vendors in Taunggyi Township, Myanmar. Validated structured questionnaires were used to interview 158 street food vendors, and a set of observational checklists was used to inspect sanitary conditions of vending sites and food hygiene practices of vendors. The association between food safety knowledge and practices was tested using Chi-square. Our results revealed that most vendors had high level of knowledge and that 58.9% of participants scored equal to or lower than the median in food safety practices while 41.1% scored greater than the median. Gender and education level were significantly associated with knowledge of participants on food safety (p < 0.001). Similarly, education, race and monthly income were significantly associated with food safety practices (p < 0.001) while food safety training attendance had no association. Additionally, participants with better knowledge score were more likely to have better practice score. Therefore, food safety training given to food handlers should be more detailed and comply with standard guidelines, especially about street food safety practices.