A survey of hygiene practices among food vendors in rural areas in Mauritius

Using a questionnaire, assesses the hygienic practices of a group of 50 street food vendors in Mauritius. The findings showed that generally, food vendors were quite aware of hygienic conditions, which have to be respected while handling and preparing foods. However, it was found that the majority of them were not implementing their knowledge into practice and still perceived that their products were of relatively low risk to the consumers. It was also found that for more than half of the vending households, street food vending was the main income provider. Despite the role of health inspectors in promoting awareness of the risks which poor hygiene practices may lead to, findings from the present study highlight the need for further health education of food vendors. © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited