Vendors and Consumers Status, Water Quality and Microbial Analysis of Street Side Foods in Patuakhali District

A total of 90 shops were selected for data collection and 240 street food samples were collected. Maximum vendors 92.22% were male and age between 21-40 years. Majority (71.11%) of them were primary educated. About 92.33% vendors had owned business. The majority (62.28%) of them daily net profit up to TK. 500. Virtually 88.89% had no license. 68.89% of the vendors used stored water for cleaning utensils followed by pond and river water. About 77% of the vendors did not cover their food while selling. All of them use tube-well water as drinking water. About 58.89% of the vendors disposed their garbage on the roadside and a few (21.11%) threw them in the pond. During vending 37.78% vendor were kept their food in the open showcase. Only 1.11% consumer had the well knowledge about nutrition and 5.557% in hygiene. 38.89% consumers were student where degree or above educated. Most of the consuming areas (57.78%) were station.About 38.89% consumers had no idea of food preservation. Majority (57.77%) of consumers, consume always in road side. 77.77%of consumer’s were eaten roadside food as it saves time and easy access, although only 61.11% of them received it as unhygienic food. But it was gratifying to observe that nearly 72% of the consumers cut their nails properly.About one third (31.90%) of the samples were contaminated where 17.67% for E. coli. and, 15% for salmonella instreet food.