Hygienic Practices of Food Vendors: Effect on Consumer Food Safety on The University of Ghana Campus

Abstract

The selling of street foods is regarded as a great aspect of the economies of many developing countries due to its socio-economic benefits. In Ghana, the sector provides numerous job opportunities for people in the country. Despite its importance, many have complained about the hygiene, quality and the safety of street foods as these foods have been associated with food poisoning and other food-borne diseases. This is due to the fact that food vendors are ignorant of basic food safety needs; therefore, exposing these foods to all kinds of dangerous abuses often at all the stages of food handling. The purpose of the study was to examine the hygienic practices of food vendors and its effects on consumer food safety on the University of Ghana campus. The mixed method approach was adopted with the sequential transformative design as the research design. Thirty-one food vendors, 2 Grounds and Environmental Health Services Officers and 300 student consumers at the University of Ghana main campus were sampled for the study using purposive sampling and purposive random sampling technique respectively. To collect the qualitative data, food vendors and Grounds and Environmental Health Services Officers were observed and interviewed respectively using naturalistic observation and structured face-face interview. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from student consumers. Qualitative data were analysed in themes and quantitative data were analysed with SPSS version 20 and results presented in frequency distributions and charts. The findings of the study indicate that food vendors at the University of Ghana campus do not engage in safe food practices even though they are knowledgeable about safe food practices. The study again found out that due to their (food vendors) lack of adherence to safe food practices on the University of Ghana campus; most of the students usually suffer from food poisoning. Finally, the study again established that even though training needs are organized for food vendors on the University of Ghana campus, these training needs are not enough and adequate to equip them with all the necessary skills and knowledge they need in ensuring food safety practices. These findings should inform policy, practice and research as far as food safety practices are concerned.