Articles

Educational Intervention Aimed at Street Food Vendors to Improve Knowledge and Practices on Food Safety and Hygiene

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Background: Street foods is ready- to- eat foods and beverages prepared which are sold by vendors in streets and other public places for immediate consumption or consumption at a later time without further processing or preparation. Street vended foods forms a distinctive part of food industry because they are mostly affordable, easily accessible. Food handlers play an important role in food safety and in transmission of food poisoning, because they can introduce pathogens into foods during production, processing, distribution and serving. Therefore, the understanding of food safety procedures and the potential factors that causes food borne diseases is very essential for all food handlers.
Objective: The study was conducted with the objective of assessing the level of knowledge and practices on food safety and hygiene in street food vendors and improve the knowledge and practices through an educational intervention targeting the street food vendors.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practices of the street food vendors. An educational intervention was carried out using the mode of one-to-one knowledge sharing discussion facilitated by pictorial materials. The intervention was conducted in all street food vendors in a selected medical Officer of Health area in the Colombo district. Similar MOH area in the Colombo district was used as the control area. Interviewer administered questionnaire was used to assess the level of knowledge and a checklist was used to assess the practices.
Results: The knowledge and practices level were not satisfactory in the baseline study. The knowledge improved in a statistically significant proportion (P<0.05) following the intervention in the intervention group. However, the level of improvement of practices was not statistically significant at the post interventional assessment (P>0.05).
Conclusions: The intervention was successful in improving the knowledge of the street food vendors significantly. However, the practice level did not show a statistically significant improvement.

Food Control System in Sri Lanka and Perception of Public Health Inspectors on Implementation of Control Measures

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Background: Many health problems encountered today arising from consumption of unsafe food. Contamination of food and feeds arising from naturally occurring toxicants, microbiological contaminants, chemical contaminants such as additives used above the permitted levels, pesticide and veterinary residues in food or as toxic components from food processing could have deleterious effects in humans and animals. Food control measures are critical in fostering food safety management of a nation.
Methods: In depth review of the existing legislation on food safety and hygiene and the food control system was done. International literature and reports were reviewed to compare the current global situation and the Sri Lankan situation. In depth interviews were conducted among the Public Health Inspectors who comprise the majority of authorized officers
Results: The food control legislation which was enacted in 1980 has been amended only twice in 1991 and 2011. There are over 50 Regulations brough in time to time under the Food Act of 1980. The food control system is mainly centralized and the implementation is done mainly at the level of the Medical Officer of Health (MOH). Many provisions of the legislation are outdated and needs revisions. The perception of the Public Health Inspectors reveled that a vast majority are not satisfied with the current food control system and are the opinion that the improvements should be made in all areas related to the food control system.
Conclusion: The food control system in Sri Lanka should be revisited and be improved and updated to be in line with the current global trends. The capacities of the analytical system as well as the authorized officers should be improved in order to ensure effective implementation of the food control system.