The vendors observed minimal personal hygiene. Personal hygiene is important because
according to Marriot [16], human beings are the largest contamination sources of food.
Vendors did not wear aprons or caps, and they handled food with bare hands. Cooked
street food should not be handled with bare hands. According to revised guidelines for
the design of control measures for street-vended foods in Africa [11], clean tongs, forks,
spoons or disposable gloves should be used when handling, serving or selling food.
Handling with bare hands may result in cross contamination, hence introduction of
microbes on safe food. The person handling money should not handle food. This is
because money is dirty and can contaminate safe food [7]. Observing personal hygiene is
vital for any food establishment. Any food handler who observes other forms of hygiene
but not personal hygiene, will definitely contaminate food. Training should, therefore, be
conducted for the street food vendors on various aspects of personal hygiene.
Cooked food and utensils were not covered, which could result in food contamination due
to dust and microbes. The utensils in which the food is displayed for sale must be kept
clean, covered and protected as they easily become contaminated if left dirty or
unprotected [15]. Kinton and Ceserani [17] recommend that foodstuffs of all kinds
should be kept covered as much as possible to prevent contamination from dust and flies.
Proper methods of storing left-over food were not used; hence this could promote the sale
of stale food. At an international conference on nutrition 18 it was resolved that if food