Universal Journal of Food Science and Technology https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/ujfst <p>Universal Journal of Food Science and Technology(UJFST) is a peer reviewed, open access, online publishing journal which provides publication of articles in all areas of food science and technology. The journal publishes papers featuring research papers and reviews of all branches of science, technology, processing and engineering of foods and food products. The editorial board encourages the authors all over the world to submit papers with emphasis on new scientific aspects of food science and technology to this journal.</p> en-US editor@scipublications.com (Robert Williams) editor@scipublications.com (Robert Williams) Sat, 04 Jan 2025 06:48:37 +0000 OJS 3.3.0.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 Knowledge Level of Street Fruit Vendors on Food Hygiene in the Tamale Metropolis https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/ujfst/article/view/1226 <p>This study aimed to assess the knowledge level of street food vendors on hygiene in the Tamale metropolis in the Northern Region of Ghana. The study employed the health belief model as the theoretical basis. Quantitatively, the study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design to examine the microbial load of street-cut fruits and assess the knowledge and practice of vendors of cut fruits on personal and food hygiene in the study setting. The population consists of cut and vented pawpaw, watermelon, and street fruit vendors registered with the health directorate in the Tamale Metropolis. A convenient sampling technique was used to select 113 respondents for the study. The Yamane formula was used to determine the sample size to select one hundred and thirteen participants (113) out of one hundred and fifty-eight street fruit vendors in the Tamale Metropolis. The main instrument for data collection was a questionnaire. A questionnaire had close-ended questions which were developed using a 'Yes' and 'No' response, and a four-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1=Strongly Disagree (SD), 2=Disagree (D), 3=Agree (A) and 4= Strongly Agree (SA). The data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentages, means and standard deviation). The findings revealed that the overall knowledge level of respondents is low. The findings also indicate that vendors do not control the rate at which their customers touch their vended fruits. It is recommended that Street fruit vendors and handlers be educated on fruit hygiene practices through engagement by the Health Directorate Unit of Tamale Metropolis and the Ministry of Health. To keep consumers safe, the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly must strictly enforce compliance with regulations on operation permits and health clearance certificates. Metropolitan sanitation officers must regularly monitor fruit vendors to ensure compliance with goods.</p> Patience Kpekurah Copyright (c) 2025 Universal Journal of Food Science and Technology https://www.scipublications.com/journal/index.php/ujfst/article/view/1226 Sat, 04 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000