Journal of Food, Nutrition and Diet Science

Factors influencing health, food safety and hygiene practices among street food vendors in Meru town, Kenya

2024-07-23T17:22:31+08:00

Street food vending is a popular and essential aspect of urban food culture in many African cities, including Meru Town, Kenya. However, concerns about food safety and hygiene have become significant public health issues. This research aimed to investigate the factors influencing the health, food safety and hygiene practices among Street Food Vendors (SFVs) in Meru Town, Kenya. A cross-sectional study on 344 SFVs was carried out using structured questionnaires. The results revealed a clustering of SFVs in four locations within Meru town. Slightly more respondents were male (50.87%) than female (49.13%). The majority of SFVs were aged between 26-35 years old (38.66%) and had completed secondary education (50.29%). On average, the vendors had been in business for 5.13 years with an average daily income of KES 1,417.38. Age significantly (p = 0.0335) influenced the occurrence of health issues among SFVs, with vendors aged 26-35 years being more likely to fall sick. There was a highly significant association between education level and training on food hygiene and safety (p < 0.0001), training on food preparation (p = 0.0119), and holding a food handlers’ certificate (p < 0.0001). Factors significantly (p < 0.01) influencing food hygiene practices included vending location, vendors' education level, gender, age, food handler’s health certification, and vendor mobility. Poor hygiene and food handling practices were reported that 97% of vendors handled food with bare hands, 75.29% handled food without washing their hands and 92.44% did not wash their hands after handling money. Targeted interventions and awareness programs to improve food hygiene and safety among SFVs in Meru Town are needed to safeguard public health.

Analysis of organophosphorus pesticide residue content in brinjal and cucumber vegetables in the Narsingdi district in Bangladesh

2024-08-29T10:15:31+08:00

This study investigated the prevalence of organophosphorus (OPs) pesticide residues in brinjal (eggplant) and cucumber samples collected between September 2021 and June 2022 in Narsingdi District, Bangladesh. A total of 36 unwashed vegetable samples (18 samples of brinjals and 18 samples of cucumbers) were collected from three sources, namely farmers' fields, retail markets and a controlled export zone. The samples were analyzed for residues of four OPs pesticides, viz. diazinon, dimethoate, malathion and chlorpyrifos, using the QuEChERS method followed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) technology. The results revealed a concerning level of pesticide contamination, particularly with dimethoate. Over half (58%) of all samples contained dimethoate, of which more than a third (39%) exceeded the European Union's Maximum Residue Limits (MRL). Chlorpyrifos was also detected in 50% of the samples, but only 8% of the samples exceeded the MRLs. Malathion residues were found in a small number of samples (11%), all of which were within the MRLs. Notably, diazinon was not detected in any of the samples. Cooking (boiling at 100°C for 30 minutes) reduced the pesticide content in some samples, but this was not always sufficient to bring the pesticide content below the MRLs. This highlights the limitations of cooking as a sole decontamination method. Encouragingly, no pesticide residues were found in samples collected from the export zone, indicating stricter adherence to regulations in these controlled environments. These findings highlight the potential health risks such as nervous system disorders, vomiting, blurred vision, coma, etc. and even death associated with consuming vegetables contaminated with pesticide residues above the recommended limits. These factors emphasize the need for stricter regulations on the use of pesticide, the promotion of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques and consumer education on safe prewashing practices.

Lactoferrin in food and supplements and health benefits: state of the art and future directions

2024-12-04T17:17:02+08:00

Lactoferrin, a protein well known for its iron-binding capacity, is abundant in colostrum but is less concentrated in mature milk. Lactoferrin is relatively resistant to the action of proteases in the gastrointestinal tract, especially in neonates, and a small proportion of lactoferrin can be absorbed in intact form. In randomized, controlled clinical trials, lactoferrin reduces invasive fungal infections in neonates and the prevalence of diarrhea in children. Lactoferrin receptors have been identified in different cell phenotypes, including notably intestinal and liver cells, osteoblasts and immune cells. Lactoferrin, which is generally recognized as safe (GRAS), has been shown in experimental studies to have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and antiparasitic effects. Beneficial effects of lactoferrin in intestinal and liver inflammation have been reported in experimental situations. In addition, oral supplementation with lactoferrin appears to be beneficial in experimental situations of compromised bone health. The present review recapitulates the effects of lactoferrin on target tissues in experimental and clinical situations. The present results highlight future research directions aimed at testing the potential utilization of this alimentary compound in different contexts.