A study conducted by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) has found excessive levels of diarrhoea-causing pathogens in popular street foods such as cholamuri (a mix of chickpeas and puffed rice), chotpoti, sandwiches, sugarcane juice, aloe vera juice, and mixed salads.
Mohammad Luftar Kabir, the lead scientist at the Centre for Advanced Research in Sciences at Dhaka University, presented the study findings at the BSFA office today (June 9).
The study identified harmful pathogens like E. coli, Vibrio spp., and Salmonella, which are known to cause diarrhoea and other stomach ailments.
For the study, titled "Microbial Risks in Street Food and Ready-to-Eat Salad Items at Restaurants and Analysis of Their Potential Risks," BFSA analysed 450 samples of six different types of street foods.
According to the study, food contamination occurs due to the use of contaminated water, dirty towels, unclean hands, and dusty environments. It highlighted that a significant factor in food contamination is the lack of hygiene, sanitation, and education among vendors.
The study also noted that the lack of hygiene awareness among vendors leads to the contamination of juice mugs and glasses, further promoting bacterial growth. Aloe vera drinks, in particular, were found to contain high levels of these harmful bacteria.
Mohammad Luftar Kabir pointed out the lack of clean water availability and the failure of vendors to follow hygiene rules as key issues.
Lutfar Kabir stressed the need for training vendors and implementing daily monitoring to ensure the safety of street food.
