Determinants of Microbial Contamination of Street-Vended Chicken Products Sold in Nairobi County, Kenya

Food safety problems pose a great threat to the health of consumers with the greatest burden in developing countries. Street-vended foods play a key role in providing many urban dwellers with cheap, nutritious, and accessible food, but when prepared in an unhygienic and unregulated environment, they could contribute to increased food safety burden. The study investigated the microbiological recovery of work surfaces and chicken sold in Korogocho and Kariobangi North slums in Nairobi County as well as evaluating vendors' hygiene and food safety practices. This is a cross-sectional study on an exhaustive sample size of 15 vendors, and swabs of the equipment and work surfaces and chicken were taken for microbial analysis. An exhaustive sample size of 15 vendors was selected for the study. The results showed that most vendors operate under unhygienic conditions. Microbial results revealed that raw portions of chicken had the highest contamination with all the four tested microorganisms (p < 0.05). The level of E. coli ranged from 6.42 ± 1.64 to 2.22 ± 1.88; Salmonella spp., 6.42 ± 1.64 to 2.22 ± 1.88; Staphylococcus aureus, 6.92 ± 1.32 to 2.86 ± 1.61; and Campylobacter jejuni, 8.95 ± 0.94 to 4.66 ± 2.67 log CFU/g in raw and cooked chicken samples, respectively. The predictors of E. coli contamination were the presence of pests and flies, unclean vending place, vending environment littered with waste, washing of hands by the vendor, and lack of appropriate clothing among the vendors at R(2) of 0.33. The vendor practices and environmental hygiene of the vending place would not significantly (p > 0.05) predict contamination with Campylobacter and Staphylococcus. Consequently, there is a need to regulate the informal food processing and marketing channels, besides trainings, infrastructural development, and code of practice and inspections which are recommended in order to enhance the quality and safety standards of street-vended chicken products.