Factors associated with food safety compliance among street food vendors in Can Tho city, Vietnam: implications for intervention activity design and implementation

Background Street food plays a valuable role in several Asian countries including Vietnam. Improving the safety of street food is an important responsibility for many local food authorities. This study aims to characterize the business profile of fixed and mobile street food vendors, and to compare their compliance with the food safety criteria. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire and observational checklist to assess the ten Vietnamese food safety criteria prescribed under Decision No. 3199/2000/QD-BYT for street food vendors in Can Tho city. A total of 400 street food vendors, composed of fixed and mobile vendors, in urban areas of the city were randomly selected for the survey. Results The study showed significant differences between the two types of street food vendors in educational level (p = 0.017); business profile, including types of foods vended, area in use, number of employees, training in food safety, and business registration paperwork; and the status of compliance with the ten-food hygiene and safety criteria (p < 0.01). Poisson regression analysis found that education attainment (IRR = 1.228, p = 0.015), food safety training (IRR = 4.855, p < 0.01), total business capital (IRR = 1.004, p = 0.031) and total area in use (IRR = 1.007, p = 0.001) appeared to be significantly positively associated with food safety and hygiene compliance. In contrast, mobile vending type was negatively associated with the likelihood of adhering to the ten criteria (IRR = 0.547, p = 0.005). Conclusions These findings emphasize the need for training and education programs to improve food safety knowledge and practice among street food vendors. Basic infrastructure and services, especially clean water, proper sanitation, and waste disposal facilities, should be provided to help street food vendors better practice food safety and hygiene regulations.

Unfolding the Impacts of a Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic on the Sustainability of Culinary Tourism: Some Insights from Micro and Small Street Food Vendors

Our study reveals the impacts of various COVID-19-related restrictions on the culinary tourism industry by exploring how street food vendors deal with this unprecedented encounter. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 20 street food vendors and later analyzed using qualitative data analysis, focusing on the thematic analysis of coded interview transcripts, as a basis for generalization of our findings. This study unfolds the knock-on effects of the lock-down, social distancing, and movement restrictions imposed on the street food vendors and sheds light on how the culinary tourism industry can become more resilient and sustainable in facing a future or recurring pandemic. Understanding the dynamic impacts of the pandemic will offer insights for the culinary tourism industry and the government in the development of relevant policies to alleviate those impacts and protect the culinary tourism industry in the ‘new normal’ post-pandemic era.

RAMIFICATION OF ONLINE ADVERTISEMENTS& HEDONIC VALUE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM ON IMPULSE BUYING FOR INDIAN STREET FOOD

This study investigated how online advertising via social media & hedonic value impact impulse buying especially for Indian street food. The current study is focused on college students to see how impulse buying takes place for Indian street food when online advertising via social media is being done. The current study is based on the sample of 460 responses from people of Gandhinagar &Ahmadabad, Gujarat. To investigate the mentioned aim data has been analyzed through a variance-based SEM approach. The result shows that there is a positive & significant impact of online advertisements on impulse buying among people for street food. The major contribution through current research is to highlight how a new market for Indian street food has emerged. It has gained popularity & position as a separate food junction at low prices with due thanks to social media. They are reaching at every corner & creating hedonic motivation among food lovers & taking them up-to-the buying level. The current study has realistic implications which show the growing value for marketing via social media. This study will help in understanding & promoting even a small food vending outlet across different geographical locations. This opens up new wings to marketing strategies in targeting new customers.

Food safety, sanitation and hygiene practices among street food vendors in Pokhara, Kaski

Background: Street foods are unique and convenient urban food supply meanwhile it lacks the food hygiene and safety posing major public health risk. Thus, the study aims to identify the food safety, sanitation and hygiene practices of street food vendors. Method: The study is cross sectional including 70 vending units selected conveniently. Structured interview schedule and observation checklist was used as data collection tool. Result: The mean age of the respondent was 38.06 (±10.417) years with >1/2 being females (61.4%). Majority (77.1%) had formal education, 37.1% earns>40,000/month and 86 % had not taken any food hygiene training. Eighty percent of the respondents had fixed stall with about 83% sell freshly cooked food and 75% prepare it in market place. About 84% of the respondent revealed diarrhea as the most prevalent disease caused by poor hygiene. Very less (27%) have their health check-up regularly and about 68.6% prepare food when they are ill. Almost 50% heat food before serving, 58% wash dishes with tap water, 98.6% wash raw food before preparation and all of them wash cooking dishes daily. About half (48.6%) of the respondents re-use oil while cooking. Approximately in 77% refrigeration facility was available. The food vending was found to be good (>50) in 54.3% and sanitation was good (>50%) in 60%. Conclusion: Overall sanitary conditions of the vending sites were good but instead needs improvement in most of the aspect of sanitary condition.

Cartas à Dona Suzana: uma viagem de São Paulo a Salvador na formação de educadores científicos com Paulo Freire

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar o relato de uma atividade didática desenvolvida com estudantes das licenciaturas em Ciências Biológicas e Pedagogia no ano de 2021 e analisar a potencialidade do uso de um documentário para a formação inicial de educadores científicos. Esta atividade foi realizada online no contexto do ensino remoto emergencial e teve como inspiração princípios da Investigação Temática e da Abordagem Temática Freireana para a sensibilização à existência de Universos Temáticos Significativos (UTS). Foi utilizado como recurso a série documental “Street Food América Latina” enquanto uma proposta de simulação de determinada realidade. Como produto final da atividade, e material de análise deste relato, cartas destinadas à Dona Suzana, protagonista do documentário, foram produzidas cartas pelas pessoas licenciandas onde puderam, em um exercício de dialogicidade, mobilizar alguns aspectos da pedagogia problematizadora de Paulo Freire a partir das relações temáticas significativas que emergiram das discussões dos grupos. Assim como indica Freire, escolhemos um “modo de caminhar” para este exercício diante das limitações impostas pela pandemia. Notamos que para além da percepção de um UTS, há incorporação de elementos presentes nas categorias de Paulo Freire na composição das cartas, sendo que a problematização, dialogicidade, síntese cultural e práxis foram elementos marcantes.

Application of the extended theory of planned behavior to street-food consumption: testing the effect of food neophobia among Indian consumers

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to find out how food neophobia, perceived risk and perceived value affect their consumers' attitude and consumption intention toward street-food, when researching tourists' food consumption.Design/methodology/approachThe framework is tested using primary data collected from 445 tourists drawn from a main urban center of Jammu situated in northern India. Structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to analyze data using partial least squares (PLS) method.FindingsFindings of the study provide evidence that perceived value of the street-food vendor through word of mouth (WoM) positively influenced tourists 2019 attitudes and intention to consumer street-food, while food neophobia lead to negative attitude and intention to consume. The findings further indicate that a significant negative relationship exists between perceived risk and intention to consume street-food.Originality/valueAlthough several studies have been conducted in the past related to the food experiences of tourists at various destinations, the current study is the first attempt to offer an Asian perspective on and fresh insights into factors affecting tourists' street-food selection in unfamiliar environments. The paper is useful for both practitioners and academicians interested in tourist consumption behavior and food tourism, as it would help in developing effective marketing and operational strategies to develop tourism through street-vending management.

Impact of COVID-19 on food outlets: symmetric or asymmetric? A case study of Amritsar

PurposeThe present study is an intra-industry analysis, which aims to investigate whether the impact of COVID-19 on employment level, clientele rate, liquidity constraints and sustainability aspect of different food outlets is symmetric or asymmetric in nature.Design/methodology/approachWith the help of well-structured questionnaire, the study has surveyed 80 food outlets in total by interviewing the managers and owners of these outlets. Food outlets have been classified into four categories namely international, national, local and street food outlets. Econometric techniques like MANOVA and Garret ranking have been employed to fulfil the objective of the study.FindingsThe results depict that the impact of COVID-19 on employment level and liquidity constraints is significantly asymmetric amongst different groups of food outlets, even though the decline in extent of clientele is somewhat same for all groups. The survival aspect of outlets also witnesses clear-cut asymmetry in results as big outlets have greater potential to survive for longer if lockdown happens again when compared to street food outlets as their financial availability and stability differ.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size of study is restricted, mainly due to lesser number of national franchise's food outlets available in Amritsar, though other categories of eateries were sufficient in number. Further, the study is restricted only to one district of Punjab state, whereas for future research, inter-district comparison can be done.Practical implicationsThe findings reveal that the street food outlets may gain by fostering its online functioning. Similarly national food outlets are encouraged to alter their business strategies to revive their sales against their competitors.Originality/valueThis study is one of the explorer studies to analyse the impact of COVID-19 by making an intra-industry comparison for the eatery industry – considering four different categories of eateries. The classification of eateries helps in analysing whether the employment level, clientele rate, liquidity constraints and survival perspective have been affected symmetrically for the whole eateries industry or does severity of being affected differ asymmetrically. The study makes a contribution by adding a new string of dimension to the existing load of literature in the domain of hospitality.

Characterization of virulence factors of Salmonella isolated from human stools and street food in urban areas of Burkina Faso

Background This study was undertaken to identify and functionally characterize virulence genes from Salmonella isolates in street food and stool cultures. From February 2017 to May 2018, clinical and food Salmonella strains were isolated in three regions in Burkina Faso. Salmonella was serotyped according to the White-Kauffmann-Le Minor method, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detec invA, spvR, spvC, fimA and stn virulence genes commonly associated with salmonellosis in Sub-Saharan Africa. Results A total of 106 Salmonella isolates (77 human stools; 14 sandwiches) was analyzed using a serological identification with an O-group test reagent. The presence of Salmonella was confirmed in 86% (91/106) of the samples were reactive (OMA-positive/OMB-positive). Salmonella serogroup O:4,5 was the most common serogroup detected (40%; 36/91). Salmonella Enteritidis and Typhimurium represented 5.5% (5/91) and 3.3% (3/91), respectively and were identified only from clinical isolates. Furthermore, 14 serotypes of Salmonella (12/91 human strains and 2/15 sandwich strains) were evocative of Kentucky/Bargny serotype. For the genetic profile, 66% (70/106) of the Salmonella had invA and stn genes; 77.4% (82/106) had the fimA gene. The spvR gene was found in 36.8% (39/106) of the isolates while 48.1% (51/106) had the spvC gene. Among the identified Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium isolated from stools, the virulence genes detected were invA (3/5) versus (2/3), fimA (4/5) versus (3/3), stn (3/5) versus (2/3), spvR (4/5) versus (2/3) and spvC (3/5) versus (2/3), respectively. Conclusion This study reports the prevalence of Salmonella serotypes and virulence genes in clinical isolates and in street foods. It shows that food could be a significant source of Salmonella transmission to humans. Our results could help decision-making by the Burkina Faso health authority in the fight against street food-related diseases, in particular by training restaurateurs in food hygiene.