Some street food “potentially dangerous”
With temperatures soaring, and forecasts this year for a ‘very hot summer indeed’, it may be worth considering a study by the Ricardo Jorge public health institute – albeit it is already well over three years out of date: street food on sale in Lisbon may not be up to scratch.
According to the study (dating back to 2019!), around 43% of street food analysed had “unsatisfactory microbiological quality levels” and 2.6% was potentially dangerous to public health.
Published in the Epidemiological Bulletin Observations of Public Health Institute Dr Ricardo Jorge (INSA), the study took a total of 118 unique samples of street food from 39 points of sale in seven areas of the Lisbon district from March 1, 2019–December 31, 2022.
The samples were classified into groups according to INSA guidelines, based on the type of preparation: with or without heat treatment, handling after heat treatment, presence of raw components and components with their own flora.
The foods evaluated included savoury items such as rissoles, codfish cakes and samosas, pastries (such as doughnuts and croissants), sandwiches containing fresh vegetables, hot dogs, hamburgers, mixed salads, fruit, natural juices and sushi.
The study revealed that, of the 118 samples, the microbiological quality compliance statement was satisfactory in 35 (29.7%) and questionable in 29 (24.6%).
Fifty-one samples (43.2%) were assessed as unsatisfactory and three (2.6%) as unsatisfactory and potentially hazardous to public health.
The researchers point out that inadequate washing of raw fruit and vegetables, the use of inappropriate storage temperatures and inefficient control of the use-by time of these products may explain the results.
They note that three samples rated as potentially hazardous to public health were chicken drumsticks, which, although fully cooked, are a ready-to-eat food that requires a lot of handling during preparation.
“Furthermore, despite being fried before serving, as it is a breaded preparation with some thickness, it should be noted that a sufficient temperature must be reached inside to eliminate any microorganisms that may be present,” the study explains.
All in all, results point to “a failure to comply with some of the good hygiene practices in this type of establishment”.
Researchers argue that the detection of E. coli and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (safety/hygiene indicators) above the Maximum Reference Value in 14.4% (17) and 26.2% (31) of the samples, respectively, reflects the importance of encouraging operators in these companies to improve food safety systems they have in place.
“Surveillance programmes should be encouraged to motivate and raise awareness among this specific group of operators about the importance of complying with good hygiene and manufacturing practices,” they add.
The establishment of critical control points, frequent revalidation of handler training and the implementation of self-control programmes are other measures advocated as decisive for the safety and quality of ready-to-eat foods provided by this food sector.
According to data reported to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), between 2019–2023, 721 outbreaks with strong evidence of food origin were associated with exposure sites such as “restaurants, pubs, street vendors, takeaways”, causing 10,871 cases of illness.
Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens were some of the most common causative agents detected in outbreaks associated with these exposure sites.
Street food is hugely popular in the summer, but high temperatures can play havoc with the most careful preparations. As a former health director once warned, try not to choose Bacalhau à Brás in the summer (unless you have just made it yourself, perhaps) as there is a heightened risk of catching salmonella.
Source material: Lusa
