Assessing the Knowledge and Adopted Practices of Street Food Vendors in the City of Anand – Vidhyanagar Regarding Food Hygiene and Safety

Street foods are defined as ready to- eat foods and beverages prepared and sold by vendors and hawkers in streets and other similar public places. However, the foods are often prepared under unsanitary conditions and stored for long periods in unsuitable conditions before selling. A study was undertaken to assess the knowledge and adopted practices of street food vendors in the city of Anand-Vidhyanagar regarding food hygiene and safety in Gujarat state. From the study, it has been found that street food vendors have adequate information with regard to the 5 principles of food safety. It was also observed that proper training and FSSAI certification of all the street food vendors are needed for gaining consumer confidence and regulatory control in street food vending. Information generated from this study will be useful for future formulation of regulatory policies for the street food vendors.