I’ve seen some pretty disturbing things when it comes to food handling in our markets and streets. From contaminated fruits to reused disposable spoons, the risks to our health are real. Imagine unwittingly consuming saliva, feces, and dirt with every meal. Now, picture this: taking a bite of your favorite snack, only to discover you’re also ingesting bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants, including someone’s saliva. The reality is stark: the hands preparing your food might be the same ones that have handled raw sewage, animal waste, or even a sick family member’s vomit. Utensils might be rinsed with contaminated water or stored in unsanitary conditions. Poor food handling practices put individuals at alarmingly high risk of contamination, affecting both food vendors and home cooks. The potential for harm is real, with devastating consequences. In this article, I’ll share my personal experiences and observations, highlighting the importance of prioritizing food safety and hygiene.
My Personal Experiences
I’ve been observing food handling practices for a while now, and what I’ve seen has made me wonder about the health implications. Let me share some of my experiences with you through the scenarios below.
Scenario 1: Unhygienic Fruit Handling
Recently, I witnessed a concerning situation at Accra Circle. An orange seller with a baby strapped to her back cleaned up the baby’s feces with a piece of paper. Afterwards, she handled oranges with the same unwashed hands and sold them to customers. This poses a serious health risk. When buying fruits like oranges, bananas, pawpaws, watermelons, mangoes, grapes, apples, and pineapples, many of us don’t wash them before eating. Many hands touch the fruits we eat, and often these hands are contaminated. Yet, we tend to eat the fruits right after buying without washing them. It’s essential to consider the hands that touched these fruits and the potential health implications. In this case, the seller’s hands were contaminated with the baby’s feces, and she touched the fruits, allowing bacteria and viruses to transfer directly to the fruit. We then consume the fruit without washing it, assuming it’s safe. But is it really safe?
Scenario 2: Contaminated Spices
About a week ago, I saw a cinnamon seller at Ashaiman station who used his mouth to open a rubber container filled with cinnamon, likely contaminating it with his saliva. He then approached a loading vehicle and started promoting the cinnamon’s benefits, drawing in customers as is common for vendors at lorry stations. Typically, we consume cinnamon by soaking it in water or chewing it directly without washing it first. This practice raises concerns because the seller’s saliva can transfer harmful bacteria and viruses to the cinnamon. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated practice; many vendors contaminate products by using their mouths to open packaging. Consuming such contaminated spices can pose serious health risks due to the potential presence of bacteria and viruses from the seller’s saliva.
Scenario 3: Unhygienic Food Vendors
Many food vendors operate in unsanitary conditions, posing serious health risks to consumers. Their surroundings are often dirty, with food exposed to flies and other pests that can carry bacteria and viruses. Vendors frequently use the same water to rinse multiple bowls, utensils, and even their hands without proper soap or sanitizing agents, allowing bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens to spread. Food is often left uncovered, exposed to dust, dirt, and flies. Both vendors and buyers talk directly to the food, further contaminating it with saliva and respiratory droplets. Some vendors may handle food with their bare hands, without gloves. Buyers may also contribute to contamination by touching the food or talking over it. It’s common to see vendors gesturing with their hands while talking to customers, inadvertently spreading germs onto the food. The environment around food stalls is often dirty, with nearby trash and waste attracting pests and creating a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Flies hovering over food can deposit bacteria and viruses, which can then be transferred to consumers. Consuming contaminated food can lead to foodborne illnesses, including diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. Risks increase when vendors handle money, touch raw ingredients, or come into contact with contaminated surfaces and then touch food without proper hand hygiene. In such environments, bacteria and viruses can multiply rapidly, putting consumers at risk of severe health consequences.
Scenario 4: Reused Disposable Spoons
I bought rice from a seller around Weija, Accra, last year, and I broke the disposable spoon after finishing eating. The woman became furious and angry, saying I didn’t have the right to break it. Later, I discovered that some food vendors reuse disposable spoons. What are the health implications of this practice? I mean, think about it – the spoon is used by one person and then reused by another without being properly cleaned and sterilized. It’s like a direct transfer of bacteria and viruses from one person to another.
This practice is particularly concerning because disposable spoons are designed for single-use only. When vendors reuse them, they put their customers at risk of contracting illnesses. The vendor’s angry reaction when I broke the spoon suggests she may have been reusing it, and my actions may have disrupted her plans.
The health risks associated with reusing disposable spoons are real. For instance, if the previous user had a contagious illness, they could have left behind pathogens on the spoon that could be transferred to the next person. This is especially worrying in environments where food vendors handle multiple customers with the same utensils, often without proper hand hygiene or sanitizing procedures.
It’s disturbing to think that some vendors prioritize profits over customer health and safety. Reusing disposable spoons is not only unhygienic but also irresponsible. As consumers, we need to be vigilant and demand better hygiene practices from food vendors. We should expect the utensils used to serve us food to be clean, sanitized, and used only once.
Scenario 5: Contaminated Drinking Water
We buy sachet water, bottled water, and other drinks from roadside vendors, but have we ever wondered what hands served them or what those hands touched before handling our drinks? Sometimes, we use our cloths to wipe the tip of the sachet water. But does this really solve the problem of germs or organisms attached to the sachets or plastics? Let’s be honest – do we know what contaminants are on our own cloths? Are they clean, or are they harboring bacteria and viruses that we then transfer to the water? The vendor’s hands may be contaminated with bacteria and viruses from handling various substances, and then they handle the water. We drink the water without giving much thought to the potential health risks. The vendor’s hands might have come into contact with contaminated surfaces, money, or other substances, allowing bacteria and viruses to transfer to the water. Furthermore, the storage and transportation of these waters and drinks might not be properly sanitized, increasing the risk of contamination. By consuming this water, we may be exposing ourselves to various health risks, including waterborne diseases.
Scenario 6: Eating in Commercial Vehicle
Many people eat while in commercial cars, which can be deadly due to the potential presence of organisms and germs on seats, doors, and windows. People spit, vomit, and cough without covering their mouths, releasing droplets that land on seats, glasses, and other surfaces. Some individuals may even touch these surfaces after handling phlegm or sputum and then touch food or other surfaces, further contaminating them. Others fail to wash their hands after using the toilet and then touch car seats, windows, doors, and other places. Passengers often grasp grab handles, which can be contaminated with germs, and subsequently touch their food or mouths. Food is sometimes placed on laps or seats, exposing it to germs and bacteria. Furthermore, the car’s ventilation system can spread airborne pathogens, and trash left in the car can attract pests and create breeding grounds for bacteria. Alarmingly, this practice is common, with many people habitually buying, eating, and drinking in commercial cars without considering the health risks. What are the health implications of eating in such environments? The car essentially becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses when we eat there without precautions – a recipe for disaster.
Scenario 7: Unhygienic Handling of Boiled Eggs and Bread
Boiled eggs and bread are staple snacks for many travelers, often purchased from roadside vendors due to their convenience. Unfortunately, I’ve observed concerning practices in the handling of these foods that pose significant health risks. Vendors frequently peel boiled eggs with their bare hands, sometimes without proper handwashing, and then add seasonings like pepper, salt, or spices. This can lead to the transfer of bacteria, viruses, or other contaminants from the vendor’s hands to the eggs. Furthermore, vendors may touch other surfaces or handle money before touching the eggs, increasing the risk of contamination. Similarly, bread is often displayed openly, exposing it to dust, flies, and other contaminants. Vendors may handle bread with unwashed hands or use the same utensils or surfaces for different foods without proper cleaning and sanitizing, leading to cross-contamination. As a result, passengers who purchase these foods from roadside vendors may unknowingly expose themselves to the risk of foodborne illnesses.
Health Implications and Prevention
Poor food handling practices can have severe health implications, including diarrhea, dysentery, gastroenteritis, viral infections like norovirus and rotavirus, salmonellosis, E. coli, food poisoning, cholera, typhoid fever, sepsis, respiratory infections, intestinal parasitic infections, and other bacterial and viral infections. These risks can be further exacerbated by contaminated water, unwashed fruits and spices, and unsanitary food environments. Additionally, eating in contaminated environments, such as commercial cars, can expose individuals to airborne pathogens, increasing the risk of respiratory illnesses. Given these risks, prioritizing food safety and hygiene is crucial to preventing foodborne illnesses.
This can be achieved through the following measures:
Washing hands regularly, especially after handling feces, contaminated fruits, or other contaminants. Washing fruits and spices before consuming them to prevent contamination. Maintaining clean and hygienic surroundings for food vendors to prevent fly infestations and cross-contamination. Using new and sterile utensils for each customer to prevent reuse and contamination, and avoiding the reuse of disposable spoons. Ensuring food handlers avoid direct contact with food using their mouth or saliva, such as opening packaging with their mouth. Taking precautions when handling water, including washing hands before handling water and using safe and clean water sources. Avoiding close contact with people who are sick, choosing safe and clean food and water sources, and taking precautions when eating in potentially contaminated environments, such as commercial cars, by avoiding food and drinks or washing hands before eating or handling food. Vendors should wash their hands thoroughly before peeling boiled eggs and handling them for consumption. Bread should be stored in clean, covered containers or bags to protect it from dust, flies, and other contaminants. Institutions, such as food regulatory agencies, health departments, and food establishments, play a critical role in preventing foodborne illnesses by implementing and enforcing food safety regulations, providing training to food handlers, and conducting regular inspections to ensure compliance.
Take Home and a Call to Action
In conclusion, my personal experiences have shown me that poor food handling practices are a serious health risk. From unhygienic fruit handling to contaminated water, the potential for harm is real. Prioritizing food safety and hygiene is essential to prevent the spread of diseases. By taking simple precautions like washing our hands and choosing safe, clean food and water sources, we can reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and promote a healthier environment. Let’s take action today to protect our health and well-being. Remember, we owe it to ourselves, our families, and communities to demand better.
By: Francis Appiah, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (N.D. Candidate), Medical Journalist, & Medical Laboratory Technologist
Email: [email protected]
