Background: Street-vended food plays a significant role in daily nutrition for many urban populations, especially in developing countries. However, it presents serious public health concerns due to the risk of foodborne illnesses. In Khartoum Central Market, the lack of hygiene among food vendors and poor sanitation conditions may contribute to microbial contamination of ready-to-eat foods. Methods: A cross-sectional experimental study was conducted to assess the microbiological safety of street-vended sandwiches. A total of 30 samples-including chicken, mutton and egg sandwiches-were randomly collected from different parts of Khartoum Central Market. Samples were transported under sterile conditions and analyzed using the pour plate method to determine the Total Viable Bacterial Count (TVBC). Results were compared to the permissible limit set by the Sudanese Standards and Metrology Organization (5×10² cfu/g). Results: All samples exceeded the recommended TVBC limit. Chicken sandwiches had TVBC values ranging from 3.8×10⁴ to 2.26×10⁸ cfu/g. Mutton samples ranged from 6.0×10⁵ to 3.43×10⁷ cfu/g, while egg sandwiches showed bacterial loads between 1.32×10⁵ and 1.91×10⁷ cfu/g. The highest contamination levels were observed in samples from central and western zones of the market. Conclusion: The majority of food samples were found to be microbiologically unsafe for human consumption. Contamination was primarily linked to unhygienic food handling practices, poor personal hygiene and inadequate sanitation facilities. Immediate interventions are required to safeguard public health.
Mohamed Osman Elamin (Tue,) studied this question.