Analytical Evaluation of Food Safety Knowledge and Practices of Street Food Vending in the Philippines

1. Introduction

Street foods are “ready-to-eat foods and beverages consumed and sold by vendors or hawkers, especially in the streets and other similar places” as explicitly defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, 1989). Street foods are already part of public life, which has become a portion of the diet among the low-income population (Allen & Prentice, 2005). In most Asian countries, street food vending is a common avenue in providing economical, flavorful, and wholesome foods as it also significantly contributes to the local economies in the developing countries, promoting business prospects and new job opportunities (Okojie, 2019). It becomes an essential part of urban economies around the globe as it generates jobs not only for themselves but also for other marginalized sectors (Choudhury et al., 2011; Rane, 2011; Gupta et al., 2018). The demand for low-cost, ready-to-eat, and accessible food has increased as numerous marginal people have mounted in cities. The increase of the urban population, and rising labor force have resulted to the current demand for non-traditional food services; thus, enabling the transformation of street food vending from a disorganized and cheap image sector to becoming a vital sector in the informal industry (Winarno & Allain, 2000; Rane, 2011). As the population in urban areas is projected to grow by 75% in 2050 (UN/DESA, 2015), changing food selection and patterns of the consumers, such as their changing lifestyles and family structures, insufficient time for food preparation, among others, attribute to the growth of street food vending (Gupta et al., 2018).

Food safety awareness remains a significant issue among consumers, both in developed and developing countries. Street food vending is prone to physical, chemical, or biological contamination or by other harmful agents, which are pressing concerns for food safety and preparation practices (Isara et al., 2010; Oguttu, 2014). Majority of these street food vending enterprises are unregulated by authorities (Bhattacharya & Reang, 2014); thus, the spread of foodborne diseases is a growing health issue in both developing and developed countries (Carbas et al., 2013; Bhattacharya & Reang, 2014) as one-third of the population of developed countries is affected by it (Isara et al., 2010). FAO (2014) alarmingly reported that the deaths of around two million of the population, which are mostly children, are caused by the consumption of contaminated food and water also considered as relevant concerns of street food vending.