A description of hygienic–sanitary conditions of street food trade at Parque Nacional, Bogotá D.C

Street food trade is popular in Bogotá D.C., Colombia, where it responds to the demand for easy and quick food from people committed to long working hours. This kind of food, however, presents significant sanitary issues. The purposes of this study are to characterize hygienic–sanitary conditions of the food trade carried out by vendors located within the area of Parque Nacional in Bogotá, to assess whether they are compliant with the laws enforced by public authorities, and to analyze whether hygienic–sanitary conditions of street food trade are compliant with the standards set by these laws. A qualitative–quantitative methodology was used to collect information about vendors’ demographic profiles, food-handling, food storage, and waste disposal practices, and about infrastructures, equipment, and supplies. The results show that the majority of vendors in the survey area are female heads of households with low educational levels. Even though vendors reported having knowledge about sanitary guidelines, a high occurrence of inappropriate hand-washing and waste-handling practices were observed. A general lack of sources of water readily accessible to vendors was also recorded. These issues represent risk factors regarding food contamination.