Vendor Characteristics, Practices, Microbial Contamination of Fish and Oil Quality in the Street Vending of Deep-fried Fish in Peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya: Case of Kasarani Sub-county

Abstract

Aim: The main objective of the study is to assess the vendor and environmental hygiene, microbial contamination of deep-fried tilapia sold, and the quality of the oil used in the streets of Kasarani sub-county Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Kasarani Sub-county and The University of Nairobi Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Technology laboratory between January 2019 to July 2020. Methodology: Structured questionnaires, checklists, analytical observations, and market observations were used to collect data from the street vendors. After the collection of the fish samples, microbial analysis of the fish samples was carried out using standard methods for Total coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus. The deep-frying oil was sampled for analysis of color and viscosity. Results were evaluated using national standards.