Prevalence of microbiological hazards in street vended Aloe vera sharbat and its associated utensils and their risk analysis

Abstract Street-vended beverages, such as Aloe vera sharbat, are popular in many areas due to their low cost and perceived health benefits. However, the hygiene of utensils used for preparation and serving remains a major concern. This study investigated the prevalence of microbiological hazards in utensils used and in street-vended A. vera sharbat and assessed the associated risks. A total of 160 utensil samples (mug to prepare sharbat, and serving glass) and 80 A. vera sharbat samples were collected from street vendors in Dhaka city and analysed for microbial load, including total aerobic bacterial count, total coliform counts, total faecal coliform count, total yeast & mould count, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Vibrio spp. The study found that approximately 61 (81.3%) mugs and 56 (74.6%) serving glasses were contaminated with E. coli, while 17 (22.6%) mugs and 16 (21.3%) serving glasses were contaminated with Salmonella spp., and 54 (72.0%) mugs and 45 (60.0%) glasses were contaminated with Vibrio spp. The microbiological quality of all sharbat samples was determined to be above the permitted standards, with 96.0% of the samples containing E. coli, 22.7% containing Salmonella spp., and 85.3% containing Vibrio spp. The microbiological risk assessment revealed that Salmonella infection is the most common (10.5%), followed by E. coli (2%) and Vibrio spp. (0.5%). The presence of these bacteria in food is unacceptable since it puts the public at risk of infection, highlighting the need for improved hygiene standards and regulatory control.