Street-food: The hygiene conditions of hot-dogs sold in Sao Paulo, Brazil

The present study was carried out with the purpose of identifying the critical points of inspection control for hot-dogs before being sold on the streets. Data were collected from 20 vending sites using interviews, questionnaires, the observation of food handling and storage, the temperature of the meat and the pH measurements of sauce. In 30% of the studied sites, hygiene conditions were rated as regular to extremely poor. Mashed potatoes, chicken and beef preparations were high risk. These findings showed unsuitable hygienic practices for food preparation and a lack of basic knowledge regarding food handling-a public health problem. Given the scarcity of literature and official data about street food in Brazil, further studies are recommended. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.