ABSTRACT Background & Objectives: Street Food not only is palatable, inexpensive and convenient but also is a large

source of employment generation; major beneficiaries being women and the urban poor. Further, street food is a treasure house of local culinary tradition and is increasingly playing an important role as an enhancer and force multiplier of tourism sector all over the world. The National Policy on Urban Street Vendors suggests that almost 2% of the urban population consist of street vendors, of which a significant proportion consists of street vendors. Food vending activity on of streets pertains to the unorganized sector of the economy. However, the main concern involved is the quality of food that is served. At times, it is not adequately hygienic and totally safe or human consumption, having adverse effect on public health. On the other hand, the issues of vendors identity, their economic sustainability & health conditions etc. are also the areas of concern. When the food Safety and Standards Bill (now Food Safety and standards Act, 2006) was being discussed in the Parliament, a commitment was made that the Ministry of Food Processing Industries would take care of the concern of the hawkers and street food vendors, as they have been kept out of the purview of the licensing provisions of the Act. Accordingly, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries taking initiatives on a PrivatePublic- Partnership mode to ensure that the hygiene & quality of food that is consumed in the streets is not compromised. At the same time it is essential to see that the concerns associated with the street food vendors are also addressed. In order to ensure economic sustainability and betterment of the livelihood of street food vendors on the one hand and

to ensure safe & hygienic food to the consumers on the other, the Ministry has formulated the scheme of Up gradation of Quality of Street Food. INTRODUCTION The street food industry plays an important role in meeting the food requirements of urban dwellers in many cities and towns of developing countries. The industry feeds millions of people daily with a wide variety of foods that are relatively cheap and easily accessible. However, food borne illnesses of microbial origin are a major health problem associated with street foods (WHO, 2002). The traditional processing methods that are used in preparation, inappropriate holding temperatures and poor personal hygiene of food handlers are some of the main causes of contamination of street-vended food. Consumers who depend on such food are more interested in its convenience and usually pay little attention to its safety, quality, and hygiene (Mensah et al, 2002; Muinde & Kuria, 2005; Barro et al., 2006). Food borne illness associated with the consumption of street vended foods has been reported in several places in India and elsewhere (FAO, 1988; Estrada Garcia et al., 2004; Chumber et al., 2007; Ghosh et al., 2007). Street foods are frequently associated with diarrhoeal diseases which occur due to improper use of additives, the presence of pathogenic bacteria, environmental contaminants and disregard of good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and good hygiene practices (GHPs). Vendors are often poorly educated, unlicensed, untrained in food hygiene, and they work under crude unsanitary conditions with little or no knowledge about the causes of food borne disease (Barro et al., 2007). Most of the foods are not well protected from flies, which may carry food

borne pathogens. Safe food storage temperatures are rarely applied to street foods. Potential health risks are associated with contamination of food by E. Coli, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas sp., Staphylococcus aureus or Proteus sp during preparation, post cooking and other handling stages (Hanoshiro, et al., 2004; Ghosh, et al., 2007).

Even though people are aware that food borne diseases could occur due to consumption of street food, the majority disregards these health hazards (Bryan, 1998). Therefore, the conditions under which street food preparation and vending occurs raise many concerns related to consumers health. In view of the high demand and overcrowding of food shops in many streets within Amravati City in India, a rapid review of the ready-to-eat food vended on the streets was undertaken during JuneDecember 2007. The main objective was to assess the microbial hazards and threats to human health that are associated with consumption of these foods.

Street foods: street food is food obtainable from Street-side vendors, often from a makeshift or portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. The food and green groceries sold in farmers market may also fall into this category, including the food exhibited and sold in gathering fairs, such as agricultural show and state fair. Most street food is both finger and fast food. Food and green groceries are available on the street for a fraction of the cost of a restaurant meal and a supermarket. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, 2.5 billion people eat street food every day. Concerns of cleanliness and freshness often discourage people from eating street food. Lack of refrigeration is often construed as a lack of cleanliness or hygiene; on the other hand, street food often uses particularly fresh ingredients for this very reason.

Street food is intimately connected with take- out, junk food, snacks, and fast food; it is distinguished by its local flavor and by being purchased on the sidewalk, without entering any building. Both take- out and fast food are often sold from counters inside buildings. Urban population growth has stimulated a rise in the number of street food vendors in many cities throughout the world. Migration from rural areas to urban centres has created a daily need among many working people to eat outside the home. Demand for relatively inexpensive, ready-to-eat food has increased as people, especially women, have less time to prepare meals. The street food trade is a rowing sector in many developing countries today. Its expansion is linked with urbanization and the need of urban populations for both employment and food. Despite this, the role of street foods in supplying the nutrient needs of urban populations has received little official attention and more notice has been paid to the potential dangers arising from the consumption of street foods than to any benefits they might offer. Much of the bias against street foods, however, is unfounded and based more on prejudice than empirical data. Official data on the street food and the consumption of street foods are largely lacking, but a number of studies have been conducted which show that the street food trade is a large and complex sector, which provides a means of livelihood and an affordable source of food to many millions of people. The potential of street foods for improving the food security and nutritional status of urban populations remains almost totally unexplored. There are a number of aspects of street foods which make them promising vehicles for micronutrient fortification. The data available on the consumption of street foods show

that they are inexpensive and available foods, which in many countries form an integral part of the diet, and that they are consumed with regularity and consistency across all income groups, but particularly by the urban poor and, in some countries, children. Street foods are extremely diverse both in terms of what is available (they encompass drinks, meals, and snacks) and the ingredients from which they are made. The ways in which street food are processed are also extremely variable and range from the preparation of foods on the street in relatively heterogeneous and unregulated condition to the central processing of ready- to- eat foods, such as snacks, that although manufactured by the formal sector food industry, are distributed and retailed via street food vendors. This implies two potential strategies for fortification: (1) ingredient- based fortification of universal ingredients, which have passed through some form of centralized processing; and (2) food- based fortification of centrally processed foods. Potential constraints to fortification include food safety requirements (both quality control of the fortification process and microbiological safety), consumption requirements, cost, and the enormous variability of street foods in terms of ingredients and the ways in which they are processed. Information is needed on all of these to evaluate the potential for the fortification of street foods and identify suitable vehicles in specific country contexts. The most authentic cuisine of India is the Indian street food, which can be bought only for a few rupees from the myriad makeshift or potable stalls found in the Indian cities and towns. The street vendors offer hot fresh, lip smacking snacks, which are very filling. These foods are popular mainly because they are at half the price of any restaurant food. Take out food, junk food, snacks, and fast food are synonymous with street food and all of these can be purchased on the footpath without entering any building.

The Indian Street Food varies from region to region. The typical North Indian street food is chaat- a generic name for all tangy, spicy not very nutritious delicacies. The tangy flavor comes from the use of lemon, pomegranate seeds, black salt, tamarind, and various chutneys. Chaat can be prepared with fruits like guava, banana, papaya, apple etc. use of paapri, which is crisp pancakes made from fried flour with some out of yoghurt, potatoes sauted with black cumin powder with some amount of meetha and khatta chutney (sweet and sour pickle) with a dash of coriander becomes the lip smacking paapri chaat. The pani puri also called golgappa in some places in India is another street delicacy. Panipuris are hollow crisp balls made from dough, and filled as you-eat with a spicy concoction of water and potatoes, topped by a choice of sweet or spicy chutney.

Aaloo Tikki are petties made up of mashed potatoes mixed with a variety of spices and deeply fried in oil and served with sweet and spicy chutney. Poori subzie (or Bhaajee) is another variety of North Indian street food available mostly in North India, especially in Uttar Pradesh. The curry is usually prepared of potatoes or in some cases a mixture of chick peas and potatoes in gravy and pooris which are made from refined flour (maida) or atta fried on oil. The chai faen is tea with a roasted biscuit called faen ( because it resembles the shape of a fan) is also vary popular in North India especially in Uttar Pradesh in cities like Agra and Mathura. The biscuit is also called khaaree biscuit in other parts of the country. Then there is the ever- famous tandoori tikkas (marinated meat grilled in a clay oven). They are steamed, grilled and fried. In the Eastern part of the country a typical street food is the Chop which is a version of potatoes patties, dipped in flour batter and again deep fried. They are served with onion, cucumber slices. It is usually prepared and consumed as an evening snack. Jhal muri which is basically a mixture of puffed rice (muri) with oil, onion and spices is also very popular in Kolkata. The roll is another variety of fast food found in Kolkata. It is actually parathas with a variety of filling which can vary from chicken to egg to paneer for the vegetarians. This road side food is very filling and popular amongst college students and office goers. Coming to the western part of the country is the vada pav which originated in Maharashtra and is the cheapest food that can be found in the sophisticated Mumbai metropolis. It is a masala vada sandwiched between two buns. It is often referred to as the poor mans burger. Masala chai or spiced tea is also found here. Pav Bhaji is another such concoction which had its humble beginnings as street food but is now also available

in restaurants. Pav Bhaji is essentially dry buns with a topping butter combined with a mash of hot cooked vegetables along with raw onions. It can be made more tangy by adding lime juice and is quite filling.

Another street food of Maharashtra is Pav- sample. The sample is Sambhar and the Pav or the bread is to be had with the sambhar. An extra dish of sambhar is referred to as sample. Although widely used in Maharashtra in roadside eateries, sambar is not native to the local culture sample could also mean a plate of curry called Usal, which is a water based preparation of cooked sprouted lentils. The term sample means anything that goes conveniently with pav (usually implying a liquid nature). Maharashtra is also famous for it Bhelpuri. It is a mixture of puffed rice with oil, spices, chopped potatoes, onion,

coriander leaves, green chillies and tomatoes and topped with sweet chutney, dash of lime juice, rock salt, normal salt and a hint of red chilly powder. Sevpuri which is prepared from hotgrams (bhujia) and Chutney is another speciality of Maharastra. In the southern part, in Kerela there is the thattukada which is a covered cart or van with stoves and utensils. They offer thattu dosa a light rice-flour crepe fried I coconut oil and served with coconut chutney. Other street foods include omelets spicy pork fry, and parottas (like naan, but beaten and mixed with oil). In Tamil Nadu there is the thalluvandis similar to kerelas thattukadas popularly called kaiyendhi Bhavans. Street food which is found all over India and not restricted to the regions is the samosa although the type of samosa may vary from region but the idea of eating samosas with tea is almost same at every region. Samosas are deep fried pastry filled with potatoes. A deep fried sweet dipped in syrup of North Indian origin, is the jalebi which is now found in more or less all parts of the country. In the south it is called jangiri. It is generally very cheap and easily available throughout India. In Indian cities, street vendors also sell a variety of drinks like Lassi which is a yogurt drink and can be found in plain salty, sweet, or fruit flavored. The other varieties of drinks are the sherbet and jaljeera. These Popular street foods have to be eaten as soon as they are prepared and hence do not make them caterable foods. It has a local flavour and even foreigners love to gorge on them making the road side eateries a class in itself. Their cheap cost and instant availability has made them world famous. However the cleanliness and the hygienic country Like India, Indian cuisine is varied, diverse and distinct. Regions in India have its own traditional and distinctive cuisine and offer a huge option to vegetarians as well as

non-vegetarians. There are four distinct regions in India. The North Indian cuisine is characterized by the use of large quantities of ghee (clarified butter), chillies, saffron and nuts. Variety of roti, parathas like naan kulcha are typical meats are part of the nonvegetarian North Indian cuisine. Indian cuisine from the east largely comprises of fish and sea food and is mainly cooked in mustard oil. There is a use of thickening agents like cashew or poppy seed paste. Bengal is famous for here. South Indian cuisine is more vegetarian and the generous use of coconut with a stress mainly on rice and pulses. Dosa, idle, vada, along with sambhar and rasam are typical South Indian cuisine. Andhra, Chettinad, Hyderabadi cuisine, Mangalorean, and Kerala cuisines each have distinct tastes and methods of cooking but in most cases the cooking is done in coconut oil. Western Indian cuisines consists of the dhokla and farsan of Gujarat, pav bhaji, poha of Maharashtra, Rajasthanis bati choorma and the spicy vindaloo curries of Goa. Therefore the diverse Indian recipes make Indian cuisine the most versatile cuisine in the world. South Indian Cuisine South India consists of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh has hot, humid climate and all its states are coastal. Rainfall is abundant and so is the supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and rice. Andhra Pradesh produces fiery Andhra cuisine which is largely vegetarian yet has range of seafood in its coastal areas. Tamilnadu has Chettinad cuisine, perhaps the most fiery of all Indian food. Western Indian cuisine Staple diet of the people of the west zone is rice. Jowar, wheat, and bajra are also consumed in states like Gujarat and Rajasthan. A bounty of sea food in goa and

Maharashtr ensures that the fish and other sea food is the invariable part of the meal for the non- vegetarians. Sabzi, dals along with rice and rotis constitute a vegetarians plate. Mouth water like Maharashtras bhel puris, Gujarats dhoklas, Rajasthani bati choorma and Gos vindaloo are popular among the inhabitants. North India Cuisine: North India consisting of Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir is the ultimate destination for people who love eating. There is absolutely no dearth of variety for a creative gourmet in this part of the country. The North is fortunate to be the some of the most exotic styles of cooking. Safety: Food safety concerns are enough to bring a company to the medias attention. The introduction of new food safety laws, regulations and standards such as ISO 22000, IFS or BRC require all companies manufacturing food and feed products to make their manufacturing processes transparent and as safe as possible. This is where METTLER TOLEDO expertise for cutting-edge measuring technology comes in. Benefits from our solutions and services: 1) Traceability maintained by reliable tracking and tracing data. 2) Hygiene supported by appropriate weighing equipment. 3) Foreign bodies detected whatever the product or packaging material. 4) Quality control assured in production and packaging.

Equipment calibration and maintenance we focus on your business success. Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food borne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards. Food can transmit disease from person to person as well as serve as a growth medium for bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Debates on genetic food safety include such issues as impact of genetically modified food on health of further generations and genetic pollution of environment, which can destroy natural biological diversity. In developed countries there are intricate standards for food preparation, whereas in lesser developed countries the main issue is simply the availability of adequate safe water, which is usually a critical item.

The governance of food safety has long been regarded as the domain of experts and professional risk managers, with minimal input from other interested parties such as consumers. However, a number of food safety incidents in Europe, related to, for example, genetically modified organisms, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and dioxins, have severely damaged public trust in food safety regulation and management. This exposed a need for improvement in the current approach to food risk analysis.

The SAFE FOODS project has been funded by the EU to develop a new approach in food risk analysis, integrating risk-benefit assessment of human health, consumer preferences and values, as well as impact analysis of socio-

economical aspects. Compared to current frameworks, a lot of attention is given to active stakeholder (corporate) participation, increased transparency (humanities) in decision-making, improved interaction between risk assessors and risk managers and more effective communication throughout the risk analysis process. Charts: Food Safety at a Glance How long can you store leftovers in the refrigerator? How can you tell when chicken breasts are done? How long does it take to cook a turkey? Check out these charts for fast answers. Storing Food Whether putting food in the refrigerator, the freezer, or the cupboard, you have plenty of opportunity to prevent food borne illnesses. Egg Storage Chart Ham Storage Chart Storage Times for the Refrigerator and Freezer Refrigerated Food and Power Outages Frozen Food and Power outages

Preparing and Cooking Food

One of the basics of food safety is cooking food to its proper temperature. Foods are properly cooked when they are heated for a long enough time and at a high enough temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that cause food borne illness. Minimum cooking Temperatures Meat and Poultry Roasting Chart Ham Cooking Chart Turkey Thawing Chart Turkey Roasting Chart Alternate Ways to Cook Turkey

WHO/F. Unsafe food causes many acute and life-long fontannaz diseases, ranging from diarrhoeal diseases to various forms of cancer. WHO estimates that food borne and water borne diarrhoeal diseases taken together kill about 2.2 million people annually, 1.9 million of them are children. Food borne diseases and threats to food safety constitute a growing public health problem and WHOs mission is to assist Member States to strengthen their program for improving the safety of food all the way from production to final consumption. OBJECTIVES: The main objectives of the present study are

 To identify street and convenience foods currently being consumed in significant amounts. To examine of methods of preparation, serving and distribution of these foods to identify possible deficiencies and defects in food-handling practices followed by the vendors, and the risk points in the chain of preparation and distribution. To identify those groups of people among the urban population that regularly use street foods, and the amount and manner in which these foods as opposed to conventional homemade foods. Microbiological analysis of various street foods that are commonly consumed by the population in the project area To Identify practical steps that may be taken to ensure and enforce the quality and wholesomeness of these foods; to develop short term training programs for street food vendors in the project area and to implement the same so that this may become an income-generating activity on the one hand, and contribute to the consumers safety on the other.

A Review of literature There exists ample discussion on street food vending in literature although a large portion of it is concentrated on the health and hygiene feature of this group. There are also some papers that concentrate on the nutrition aspects of street food vending and its ability to provide a basic need to the urban dwellers at affordable prices. Akin to this line of thought, Acho-Chi (2002) looked into the mobile food service practice in Kumba, Cameroon, in terms of its basic characteristics, the locational factors influencing its socio-spatial distribution, the critical success factors determining customer choices, and its impacts on the local environmental resources and quality of urban life. Among those concentrating on health and hygiene, Muinde and Kuria (2005) point to the unstable and precarious of establishments of the street food vendors of Africa. They identify the lack of basic hygiene and sanitary practices both in the case of serving as well as preserving food in this sector. To that end the study emphasizes on the need for the establishment of street food centers by the city council, the training of street food vendors on hygiene, sanitation and the establishment of code of practice for the street food industry and the empowerment of Public Health Officers. Subratty, Beeharry, and Sun (2004) conducted a similar study in Mauritius and highlight the need for health education among food vendors. In a report of FAO, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and Barbados National Standards Institution (BNSI) (2003) a comparison of health and hygiene standards practiced by street food vendors was carried out among seventeen English speaking Caribbean countries. It was found that although in varying levels, improper hygiene

practices, lack of running water, improper storage of food etc. were prevailing in almost all the countries. On a similar note, Nicolas et al. (2007) collected data on street vended food in western African countries to find the contamination mechanisms and suggest improvement pathways. They recommend the Food Safety Objective (FSO) concept developed by FAO and WHO to aid governments in elaborating guidance for street food production, vending and consumption. A host of literature also exists focusing on the nutrition aspect of street foods. To sight an example of this, a profile of street food vending was conducted in Botswana by Ohiokpehai (2003) where the focus was on the content and nutritional impact of street food for people where some segments of the population rely almost entirely on street food vending for their everyday meals. Von and Mahoane (2006) found that street food vendors in South Africa were capable of producing relatively safe food with low bacterial counts, although there was still a need for proper hygiene conditions and access to basic sanitary facilities. Published literature in respect of identifying and a need for acknowledging the problems of entrepreneurs of street food vending in Dhaka city is scarce. Amin (1989) states that a large part of Dhaka citys economy goes unrecognized and referred it as the traditional sector or informal sector, operating outside the incentive system offered by the state and its institutions. Wick ware (1998) points out that the food vendors in informal sector are distinct from their official brethren only because their work status is more unstable, more vulnerable, and illegal (quoted in Muzaffar, 1998). Amins (1989) work also provides a

comparison between formal and informal sectors helping us identify some key features attributable to street food vending as well. Street vendor supply large amounts of food at affordable prices, particularly in developing countries. Street foods vendors may be located outdoors or under a roof which is easily accessible from the street. Street foods are also known as hawlers or sellers The term "street foods" describes a wide range of ready- to-eat foods and beverages sold and sometimes prepared in public places, notably streets." Like fast foods, the final preparation of street foods occurs when the customer orders the meal which can be consumed where it is purchased or taken away. Street foods and fast foods are low in cost compared with restaurant meals and offer an attractive alternative to home-cooked food. In spite of these similarities, street food and fast food enterprises differ in variety, environment, marketing techniques and ownership. Street foods often reflect traditional local cultures and exist in an endless variety. There is much diversity in the raw materials as well as in the preparation of street food beverages, snacks and meals. Vendors' stalls are usually located outdoors or under a roof which is easily accessible from the street. They have low-cost seating facilities which are sometimes rudimentary. Their marketing success depends exclusively on location and word-of-mouth promotion. Street food businesses are usually owned and operated by individuals or families but benefits from their trade extend throughout the local economy. For instance, vendors buy their fresh food locally, thus linking their enterprises directly with small-scale farms and market gardens.

Abdussalam M. Kaferstein FK {1993} studied about safety of street foods and found that street vendors supply large amounts of food at affordable prices, particularly in developing countries. It is clearly right to regulate this trade in the interest of safety and quality, but care should be taken that im so doing the availability and accessibility of produce is not diminished. Altekruse et. al (1996)studied about consumer knowledge of food borne microbial hazards & food handling practices and found that the results raise concerns about consumer food handling practices. The influence of food safety training, food-handling experience, and age on food-handling practices should be studied further. Awareness of a food vehicle for Salmonella spp., for example, may indicate knowledge of the etiology of foodborne disease that promotes safe food handling. Understanding the factors associated with safe food handling will assist in development of effective safe-food instruction programs. Moy. G. Hazzard "et. at (1997) studied that how to improve safety of street vended foods and found that WHO must encourages the development of regulations that empower vendors to take greater responsibility for the preparation of safe foods and of codes of practices based on HACCP system. Etok 0 .Ekanem {1998} studied about the safety and socio economic environmental issues posted by the street food industry in Africa using HACCP {hazard analysis critical control point} and found that consumers are urged to form organizations through which they can assert their rights and be heard on matters affecting them.

Laurian J .Unnevehr et. al(1999) studied about the nature and role of Hazard Analysis Critical Contro Point{HACCP} as a food safety control system and found that HACCP is more economically efficient approach to food safety regulation than command and control {CAC} interventions. V. J. Umoh et. al(1999) studied about Safety and quality evaluation of street foods sold in Zaria, Nigeria and found that Education of the street food handlers and the public on environmental sanitation and safe food handling practices is recommended. Poh See Toh et. al (2000) studied about the impact of culture and environment on knowledge and attitudes of hawkers towards food safety, food borne illnesses and their prevention using a structured interview schedule and found that how much education is important to bridge cultural gaps in food safety knowledge and attitudes. A strong relationship exists between the knowledge and attitudes of hawkers. L. K. King et. al (2000) studied about an assessment of the safety of street foods in the Ga district of Ghana and found that the proximity of a chop bar to a slaughter facility ,the conduct of meat inspection personnel and affordable user fees influence the purchase of a meat from an approved source. Magdalena Martinez et. al (2000) studied about the improvement of food safety by establishing a self -regulated control system based on good manufacturing practices with particular reference to the safety of salads and found that a decrease in microbial populations of examined samples which indicated that the knowledge of hygiene practices on the part of food handlers represents a critical control point, as defined by the EC Directive 93/43IEEC on hygiene of food stuffs.

John S .Wilsona et. al (2001) studied about relation between global trade and food safety and found that food safety and the trade-off between precaution and increased agricultural exports is at the forefront of policy debate. How food safety is addressed is addressed within the trading systems is of significant importance to developing countries which continue to rely on agricultural exports. This includes some of the least developed exporters of cereals, fruits and nuts in Africa, Asia and Western Hemisphere. R J. Dawson et. al (2003) studied about the meetings and activities which have been carried out in a number of countries around the world. in Italy related the street foods and found that specific recommendations to improve the situation in street foods are also presented particular the socio-economic and sanitary aspects of street foods. Anne Wilcock et. al (2003) studied about the diverse consumer attitudes towards the safety of food and found that the diversity among consumers is based on a variety of factors, including demographics and socio-economic status and different attitudes do not necessarily lead to behaviors that increase the safety of the food consumed. It can be conducted that there exists the need for professional assistance for consumers regarding food safety issues. D. C. Jayasuriya (2003) studied about the policies and legal aspects related to street food vending in Asia and found that more effective regulation is possible only through a comprehensive system that considers this industry as a formal and legal activity that needs to be fully integrated into the developmental process. There is also a need to have a broader statutory definition of street food vending and more realistic and relevant legal provisions.

H Elizabeth C Redmond et. al (2003)studied the comparison and evaluation of research methods used in consumer food safety studies and found that use of different research designs and approaches has resulted in differences in the findings about consumer food safety behavior. The most reliable information denoting consumers 'actual food safety behavior and should be used preferentially with risk-based data for the design of communication strategies. Neela Badrie et. al (2005) studied about the consumer awareness and perception to food safety hazards in Trinidad, West Indies and found that restaurant was regarding to be the most likely place where food poisoning could occur. There was no distinct trust in food safety authorities. The study highlighted gaps in food safety knowledge and critical violations in food handling. Patil et. al (2005) Consumer Food Safety Knowledge, Practices, and Demographic Differences: Findings from a Meta-Analysis and found that There were considerable differences in behaviors across demographic categories, possibly because of socioeconomic and cultural differences. For example, compared with women, men reported greater consumption of raw or undercooked foods, poorer hygiene, poorer practices to prevent cross-contamination, and less safe defrosting practices. Mid-age adults consumed more raw food (except milk) than did young adults and seniors. Highincome individuals reported greater consumption of raw foods, less knowledge of hygiene, and poorer cross-contamination practices. Muinde O. K. & Kuria. E et. al (2005) studied about Hygienic and sanitary practices of vendors of street foods in Nairobi, Kenya and found that that vendors never covered their

heads, handled money and food at the same time and they did not wear overcoats/aprons and handled food with bare hand. Street food vendors were not aware of hygienic and sanitary diseases. Roseman et. al (2006) studied about Food Safety Perceptions and Behaviors of Kentucky Consumers and found that consumers who perceived higher risks exhibited safer food handling behaviors. Strategies to increase the understanding of real and perceived food safety risks in the home combined with strategies that target specific demographic groups may be the most effective approach to improve food handling practices. A better understanding of consumers' food safety risk perceptions and behaviors could lead to more effective food safety education materials and messages. A. Von Holy et. al (2006) studied about the improvement of street food vending in south Africa and found that street food vendors in south Africa were capable of producing relatively safe foods, with low bacterial counts, although there was still a need for proper hygiene conditions and access to basic sanitary facilities. Street foods vending being perceived as a nuisance by main authorities can be made to these authorities promoting and improving street food vending instead. Lydia Medeiros et. al (2006) studied about the evaluation of food safety education for consumers by teaching a broad range of safe food handling behaviours in the expectation that this will lead to the avoidance of food borne illness and found that food safety education and evaluation in the future be organized around five behavioral constructs practice personal hygiene, cook foods adequately, avoid cross contamination, keep foods at safe temperatures and avoid food from unsafe sources.

Lues J. F. et al. (2006) studied about the assessment of microbiological quality of the food being sold as well as the level of hygiene conditions under which these food stalls operate, in the city of Bloemfontein and found that the overall microbiological quality of the foods served by the street vendors to be within acceptable safety limits, although the presence of specific microorganism is indicative of a degree of ignorance on the part of the food handlers towards proper hygiene practices. A. M. Omemu et. al (2007) studied about food safety knowledge and practices of street food vendors in the city of Abeokuta, Nigeria and found that some of the food safety knowledge of the vendors could not be translated in practice due to the absence of basic facilities such as water and toilets at their vending sites. Training on hygiene and sanitation, provision of basic infrastructures the establishment of code of practice for the street food industry is recommended. Kharwade et. al (2009) studied about consumption pattern and food handling practices of street foods and found that street foods vended in selected places to be prepared by the street vendors under insanitary conditions. Observations for catering operation and food material handling practices revealed lacunae in accessories water supply pre-preparation, use of holding, dish washing and personal hygiene practices may pose a serious health risk. R. Gurudasani et. al (2009) studied FOOD SAFETY KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF CONSUMERS OF VARIOUS FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENTS and found that Most consumers had a positive attitude toward food hygiene, and they believed in punishing street food vendors who violated the food safety norms. Most consumers

believed that government intervention would help in improving the quality of street foods. A lot of better educated food handlers believed that adherence to norms on the personal hygiene of the food handler should be made compulsory, and that training of persons in street food service is essential to ensure quality of food and food safety. In conclusion, various sources of information should be used to increase consumer awareness on food safety. Nam E Kang et. al (2010) studied about Food safety knowledge and practice by the stages of change model in school children and found that The two food safety behavior items "hand washing practice" and "avoidance of harmful food" were significantly different among the three groups (P < 0.05). Stages of change were significantly and positively correlated with food safety knowledge and practice. Age was significantly and negatively correlated with the total food safety behavior score (r = -0.142, P < 0.05). The most influential factor on the stage of change was a mother's instruction about food safety (P < 0.01). Jorge H. Behrens et. al (2010) studied about This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes towards food safety among consumers in the city of Sao Paulo and found that Lack of awareness regarding potentially risky behaviors was observed, including handling and storage of foods in the domestic environment. And Brazilian regulators should create more effective risk communication combining technical information with actual consumer perceptions of food risks. Comfort O. Chekuez et. al (2010) studied about food safety and hygiene practices of street foods vendors in Oweeri, Nigeria and found that street foods plays an important

role in meeting the food demands of urban dwellers ,but there are several health hazards associated with them. There is need for health education of these vendors in order to ensure food safety for the consumers. Arijit das et. al (2010)studied about micro-biological quality of street vended Indian chaats sold in banga and found that microbial contamination of ready eat foods and beverages sold by street vendors and hawlers has become a global health problem. Street vended chaats like panipuri and bhelpuri sold in almost all the cities throughout India are consumed by huge population of people. The regular monitoring of the quality of street foods must be practiced to avoid any food borne pathogenic outbreaks in future. Supannikar Sribuathong et. al (2010) studied Role of Research and Development for Food Safety and Food Security in Thailand and found that the success of R&D on food safety and food security in Thailand is dependent on many important factors, such as capacity-building, strengthening of joint collaboration among various sectors, and accessible communication with all related organization networks. Richard A. Holley (2011) studied that Food Safety Challenges within North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Partners and found that end product testing should be used to verify safety system operation and should not be used to predict product safety. Specific microbial and non-microbial challenges to safe food in North America are highlighted and a rationalization of fiscal/human resource allocation to most effectively reduce the burden of foodborne illness is provided. JOON-IL CHOL et al. (201l) studied about assessment of microbial contamination levels of street vended foods in Korean and found that consumption of street-vended foods may

pose a risk of food borne disease and that good hygiene practices should be required to ensure public health. Kevin Roberts et al (2011) studied about the Food Safety Practices Lacking in Independent Ethnic Restaurants and Food Code between ethnic and non-ethnic restaurants and identified specific food safety practices needing improvement and found that the majority of differences in code violations were found between independent ethnic restaurants and the other three categories. Overall, non-ethnic restaurants had higher food code compliance scores than independent and chain ethnic restaurants. Sumner et al (2011) studied to determine the frequency with which food workers said they had worked while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea, and to identify restaurant and worker characteristics associated with this behavior and found that Factors associated with workers having worked while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea were (i) high volume of meals served, (ii) lack of policies requiring workers to report illness to managers, (iii) lack of on-call workers, (iv) lack of manager experience, and (v) workers of the male gender. Our findings suggest that policies that encourage workers to tell managers when they are ill and that help mitigate pressures to work while ill could reduce the number of food workers who work while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea M C Campus - Int. J. Leisure and Tourism Marketing, et al. (2011) studied about Attributes of street markets as leisure destinations in growing cities and the influence of street markets in urban geo-demographic settings and analyses vending patterns with ethnic values enhancing the consumer satisfaction and found that Research on street markets as leisure destination is very limited though some studies are available on street

vendors with focus on spatial planning, political interventions and legal rights. This study on street markets contributes significantly to the existing literature in reference to shopping behaviour and perceptional values of urban consumers.

Research Methodology:
In this chapter we will show our scientific approach and explain how we have carried out our research and why we have chosen to do it this way.

3.1 Scientific approach

Research can either be positivistic or hermeneutic. (Thurn, 1996) Positivism originates from natural science and hermeneutics from human sciences. The hermeneutic approach aims to increase understanding of a phenomenon through interpretation often using qualitative data, while the positivistic approach aims to reach an absolute truth by explaining quantitative phenomenons and their relation to each other (Hartman, 1998). The researcher should here be an objective observer, although it is impossible to achieve total objectivity (Holme, Solvang, 1997). When choosing a method, one should keep in mind that both qualitative and quantitative methods have advantages and disadvantages and one method is not better than the other. (Holme, Solvang, 1997) The choice of method should have its origin in the purpose of the research question. We have chosen a quantitative approach for the greater part of this study, which is based on a questionnaire where all research objects get the same questions and answer alternatives, but we also have a part with personal interviews. In both cases, we as researchers are the ones who to a great extent control what data to collect (ibid). Our type of research could also be made with a qualitative approach to reach a deepened understanding, but that would have been too time consuming. Our aim is instead to make a broad survey on a larger number of people. We have chosen to work according to the deductive method in our research, which means that we have our starting-point in theories and we draw conclusions through observations. The other way to work is through induction, which starts with observations that later forms a theory (Hartman, 1998). We believe that there is a need to study what has been written in the area of street food safety and from this form a theoretical framework. This

framework will help us to form the right questions and it will also help us to analyse the collected material. An inductive method would not have shown us what to look for. The collected material would have been very hard to analyse and probably not very useful in this type of research.

3.2 Theoretical studies

After deciding that we wanted to study street food safety we began by studying the broad concept of food safety. Our supervisor provided us with some books and articles, which we went through and made summaries on. Then we browsed for more information and through substantial literature studies we found that some concepts related to food security occurred more frequently. After these studies we analysed the existing concepts and from this we deducted our own theoretical base by showing how we understand these concepts to be interrelated. As we consider the concept of food safety to be very complex and difficult to measure, we try to identify and explain it through the concepts that we apprehend constructs safety. A thorough review of the theory was essential for us to even know what questions we needed to ask to grasp food security.

3.3 Line of action

At first, we began searching for one street vendor, whom we could apply our study on. We started surveying the actors on the street food vendors by filling in a template made through brainstorming. This template had variables as type of vendor, types of customers, and services. In the end we came up with a few street food selling vendors. Unfortunately, none of them were interested in our survey. At this state we were invited to participate in a survey made by our supervisor, using his questionnaire. We carefully studied the questionnaire and it showed to be useful, since it was outlined much like the one we have made. About half of the questions in the questionnaire corresponded to ours and we decided to use it. We randomly sent questionnaires to fifty presumable respondents, chosen randomly.

This is called a coincidence selection (Denscombe, 2000), and it is mostly used out of convenience, because the selection is easy within reach. To increase the depth in our survey we also decided to make some qualitative interviews with respondents. The interviews were carried out only at one vendors shop, because of our previous difficulties to receive a research object.

3.4 The questionnaire

The questionnaire has mainly fixed answers and we have graded them from one to seven. The original questionnaire has 89 questions, but we have only used those that were comparable to our questionnaire, which leaves us with 37 questions. During the analyses we have further diminished the number of questions and we have finally used 27 as our empirical material. We started by analysing what information each question would provide us with. To make the analysis easier we also considered what concept from the theory could be related to each question.

3.4.1 Restrictions
To increase the validity of the questionnaire results we have delimited our respondents according to the following limitations: We think that those that have been consumers for less than one year would not be interesting to examine in aspects of measuring knowledge. We also mean that consumers must primarily know the dangers of street food. Those that have not answered all of our questions are also delimited.

3.5 Interviews
We have made two half structured interviews with persons working at street vendors to grasp their opinions. The respondents did not all answer every question, instead they replied in those areas that they knew the most. In section 4.1 we have summarised their opinions. The questionnaire is attached in the appendix.

3.6 Primary and secondary data

In the theoretical chapter we have used both primary literature like research reports, and secondary literature like books (Hartman, 1998). The empirical material is also mixed as the interviews consist of primary data, while the questionnaire represents secondary material. The answers to the questionnaire are somewhat primary data though, in that way that we receive the raw data material and analyze it ourselves.

3.7 Reliability and validity

The answering frequency of the questionnaire is fairly low; 13.2 percent. After considering our restrictions, the percentage is even lower; 10 percent. Due to this, we do not emphasize our conclusions from this survey to be valid for all. Our conclusions will be a sample of the attitudes and behaviours that exists on this market. Numerous opinions can be held towards a questionnaire, simply because it is much more difficult to receive correct answers to questions asked on a paper, compared to an interview situation. For example, we do not know if one respondent interprets a question in the same way as another respondent. We have tried to form our questions as simple as possible. The disadvantage is that we as inquirers cannot explain or ask for explanations to the questions and answers, never the less we consider it too time consuming to make oral interviews. However, this is a difficulty for most written questionnaires. We believe that our questionnaire measures the characteristics that we want to measure (Hartman, 1998); it is quite simple to answer and does not lead to any big misunderstandings, and so our validity is good. When it comes to what questions we chose to put, we mean that we can measure aspects of food safety this way. We have made a thorough theoretical base, as we have read much about the concept of food security and related concepts. From our understanding of how food security is built we have made the questions. Instead we ask several questions about usage, experience and opinions, from which we draw conclusions. For example we ask how many times the consumer visited the vendor, which is an indicator of repeat

purchase behaviour. Of course this evaluation is different between respondents, but nevertheless it is an indication of satisfaction, as we believe it. Of course all people have some preconceived understanding, and in our case we believe to have a lot in common with the respondents. This is important to keep in mind when analyzing, and it is almost impossible not being influenced by ones own conceptions.

3.7.1 Who and why

We have a fairly well spread sample of respondents. The youngest and the oldest are not that well represented, but these age groups are probably smaller when it comes to food security. As for sexes, the population is not perfect but acceptable for this type of research, since it is not our main purpose to study sex differences. Most of our respondents have at least upper secondary school education, few have only compulsory.