Assessment of the Hygienic and Microbiological Quality of Street Vended Foods in Khartoum State, Sud

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 13 Issue: 03 | Mar 2026 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Assessment of the Hygienic and Microbiological Quality of Street Vended Foods in Khartoum State, Sudan

Dr. Awatif Yousif Mohamed Elamin 1 , Dr. ElGazafey Basheer Haj Ahmed 2 , Dr. Nada Mohamed Osman 3 , Dr. Amira Gafar Mohamed Osman 4 , Dr. Kamal Elbssir Mohammed Ali 5 , Dr. Eltayeb

Idrees Omer Almahi 6

1 Dallang University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

2 East Kordofan University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

3 Alzaiem Alazhari University, Faculty of Public Health.

4 Alzaiem Alazhari University, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences.

5 Alzaiem Alazhari University, Faculty of Public Health.

6 Community Medicine Dep. University of Delta Technologies and Sciences.

Abstract - Background: Street vended foods are an essential source of affordable nutrition in Sudan but are prone to contamination due to poor hygienic practices. This study assessed the hygienic and microbiological quality of commonly vended foods in Khartoum State.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2016 and 2018. Food samples (meat products, fried snacks, salads, juices, dairy products) were collected from vendors across Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Omdurman. Hygienic practices were observed using a structured checklist. Microbiological analyses included total plate count, coliform count, yeast and mold counts, and isolation of foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacterspp.).

Results: Of 250 food samples, 72% exceeded acceptable microbial limits. The highest contamination was recorded in raw salads and fruit juices. Pathogens isolated included E. coli (41%), S. aureus (36%), Salmonella spp. (18%), Klebsiella spp. (14%), and Enterobacter spp. (11%). Yeast and mold contamination was detected in 29% of juice and dairy samples. Only 34% of vendors demonstrated good hygienic practices.

Conclusion: Street vended foods in Khartoum State present significant microbiological risks. Strengthened hygiene training, food safety monitoring, and enforcement of regulations are urgently needed to safeguard public health.

1. Introduction and Literature Review

Street foods provide affordable and accessible meals but often raise public health concerns due to microbial contamination. Contamination sources include unsafe water, poor handling, inadequate storage, and unhygienic environments. Foodborne pathogenssuchas E. coli, Salmonella, S. aureus andfungiarecommoninstreetfoodsworldwide.InSudan,limitedresearchhas addressed the microbiological quality of these foods despite their widespread consumption. This study fills this gap by examininghygienicpracticesandmicrobiologicalcontaminationinKhartoumState.

Recentstudies(2018–2024)fromAfricaandAsiahaveshownhighcontaminationratesinstreet-vendedfoods.InNigeria, E. coli and Salmonella werecommonly reported in saladsandmeatsnacks.InEthiopia,juicesand dairyproducts showed yeast and mold contamination exceeding standards. Studies in Asia similarly reported contamination with coliforms and poor hygienic practices among vendors. Thishighlights the global challenge of ensuring safestreet food. In Sudan, thestreet food industry is widespread across urban centers, yet little empirical data exists regarding the sanitary conditions and microbiologicalsafetyofthesefoods.

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)

Volume: 13 Issue: 03 | Mar 2026 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

2. Materials and Methods

Study design: Cross-sectional survey (2016–2018) in Khartoum, Khartoum North, and Omdurman. Sample collection: 250 food samples (meat products, fried snacks, raw salads, juices, dairy). Hygienic practices: Structured checklist observed vendor hygiene (handwashing, utensil cleanliness, storage). Microbiologicalanalysis:Standardmethodswereusedfortotalplatecount,coliformcount,yeastandmoldcount.Pathogens wereisolatedandidentifiedusingselectivemediaandbiochemicaltests.

Dataanalysis:ResultsexpressedasCFU/gorCFU/ml;frequenciesandpercentagescalculated.

3. Results

Theresultshighlightpoorhygienicpracticesandwidespreadmicrobialcontaminationofstreetfoods.

Table 1.HygienicpracticesoffoodvendorsinKhartoumState. HygienicPractice

Table 2. MicrobialcountsofstreetvendedfoodsinKhartoumState. FoodType

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 13 Issue: 03 | Mar 2026 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

4. Discussion

This study presents a comprehensive evaluation of the hygienic and microbiological quality of street-vended foods in Khartoum State, Sudan. The findings reveal significant public health concerns, primarily driven by poor vendor hygiene, inadequatefoodhandling,andwidespreadmicrobialcontamination.

4.1 Hygiene Practices and Vendor Behavior

Theoverallhygieneperformanceofvendorswaspoor,withonly2.7%achievinga"good"ratingandamedianhygienescoreof 47.37%.Thisalignswithstudies fromotherdevelopingcountrieswherevendorstypicallylackformalfoodsafetytrainingor infrastructuretosupporthygienicpractices(Omemu&Aderoju,2008;Tambekaretal.,2009).Notably,whilethehealthstatus ofvendorsscoredrelativelyhigher,thisislikelybasedonsuperficialobservationratherthanconfirmedmedicalscreening,as 90.7%ofvendorslackedvalidhealthcertificates.

Thepoorestscoreswererecordedinthefoodpreparationandhandlingcategory(0%),suggestingcriticallapsesinbasicfood safetymeasuressuchasreheating,useofprotectivegear,andproperstorage.ThesefindingsmirrorthosereportedinGhana andIndia,whereinadequatestorageconditionsandimproperreheatingoffoodweremajorcontributorstofoodborneillness outbreaks(Mensahetal.,2002;FAO/WHO,2009).

4.2 Microbial Contamination Patterns

Microbiological analysisconfirmed extensive contamination of food,hands, and equipment. The median total bacterial count infoodsamples(6.0x10^8CFU/g)farexceedsacceptablelimitssetbyinternationalstandards,indicatingthatthefoodisnot safe for consumption. Juices and peanut butter, often served without further cooking, had the highest bacterial loads, consistentwithfindingsfromsimilarstudiesinWestandEastAfrica(Barroetal.,2007;Mwangietal.,2017).

E. coli wasdetectedin26.4%offoodsamples,confirmingfecalcontaminationandreinforcingthelackofhandwashingoruse of clean water during food preparation. The presence of Staphylococcus aureus in 22.2% of food samples and 29.7% of hand swabspointstodirectcontaminationfromfoodhandlers,likelyduetopoorpersonalhygienepractices.Although Salmonella spp. was detected in fewer samples (13.2%), its presence is highly concerning due to its pathogenic potential and environmentalresilience(WHO,2015).

4.3 Locality-Specific Risks

Variations in microbial contamination and hygiene scores across the seven localities indicate that environmental and infrastructural differences significantly impact food safety. Bahry and East Nile recorded the highest contamination levels, possibly due to higher population density, poor waste management, and limited access to potable water. Vendors in Karary

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and Umbadda, by contrast, demonstrated relatively better hygiene scores, suggesting that localized interventions could be effective.

4.4 Hygiene Scores and Microbial Correlation

Statistical analysisrevealed a stronginverse correlation between vendor hygienescores and microbial contamination levels, especiallyfor E. coli andtotalcoliforms.Thisrelationshipsupportsfindingsfrommultipleinternationalstudies(Tambekaret al., 2009; Preethirani et al., 2015), highlighting that even marginal improvements in vendor hygiene can lead to significant reductions in contamination risk. The absence of proper waste disposal and refrigeration further exacerbates microbial growthandcross-contamination.

4.5 Implications for Public Health and Policy

Thedataunderscoretheurgentneedforregulatoryenforcement,structuredhygieneeducation,andconsistentsurveillanceof streetfoodvendorsinSudan.Giventheinformalnatureofthesector,publichealthauthoritiesmustadoptscalable,low-cost interventions such as hygiene training workshops, provision of portable handwashing stations, and incentives for certified foodhandlers.

Implementing Codex Alimentarius-based inspection frameworks, coupled with molecular testing for pathogen detection, would enhance the capacity to monitor and control foodborne illnesses. Moreover, vendor licensing linked to hygiene compliancecouldbeasustainablestrategyforimprovingfoodsafety.

6. Conclusion

StreetvendedfoodsinKhartoumStateareheavilycontaminatedwithbacteriaandfungi,posingserioushealthrisks.Vendors’ poor hygienic practices exacerbate contamination. Without regulatory enforcement and hygiene training, street food will remainasourceoffoodborneillnesses.

7. Recommendations

 Introducemandatoryfoodhygienetrainingforstreetvendors.

 Enforceregularinspectionsandmicrobiologicaltestingofstreetfoods.

 Improveaccesstocleanwaterandsanitationfacilitiesforvendors.

 Conductpublicawarenesscampaignsonsafestreetfoodconsumption.

 Developpoliciesintegratinginformalfoodvendorsintofoodsafetysystems.

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