Department

Consumer and Food Sciences

Degree

MSc (Food Science)

Street vended coleslaw: lmpact on food waste and bacterial safety

The consumption of street vended ready - to - eat vegetable salads such as coleslaw has been on the rise in South Africa. However, recent studies have reported poor food hygiene and handling practices among street vendors. Microbial contamination of street vended food results in food losses and food wastages, thereby, increase food insecurity.

The current study was undertaken to assess the food hygiene and food handling practices of street vendors who sell coleslaw in Mamelodi and Marabastad, Tshwane Metropolitan, South Africa. Food loss and food waste generated from coleslaw sold by these street vendors was further evaluated. Additionally, the quality and safety of coleslaw sold by the street vendors was also assessed. This study revealed that there was a compromise of food quality, which led to a substantial amount of food loss and food wastage by street vendors. This study also gave an insight on the quality, safety, food loss and food waste in the informal sector which was unaccounted for.

Email

[email protected]

Supervisors

• Primary Supervisor: Prof EM Buys
• Co-supervisor: Dr V Ntuli