Hyderabad: It may be delicious, but the roadside snack, pani puri, contains a cocktail of bacteria and fungus, according to a recent study. Researchers of the Community Medicine Department of Gandhi Medical College have released a study titled A cross-sectional study on microbiological quality of street food in Hyderabad.
It is based on random samples of water and chutney from roadside pani puri sellers to test the microbiological quality. They found 45 per cent of the water and 70 per cent of the chutney samples were contaminated. All samples of freshly squeezed fruit juices, which are commonly believed to be healthier than junk food, were found to be contaminated.
The majority of the pani puri water and chutney samples were found to be contaminated by E. coli. Other bacterial contents present included klebsiella, pseudomonas, salmonella and staphylococcus and the candida species of fungus. In the juice samples, E. coli, salmonella, and klebsiella were the main contaminants with the candida fungus, and enterococci bacteria in one sample.
The researchers cited the presence of open drains near the vending sites and the dustbin used for disposal of waste generated by the vendor as major causes for the bacterial contamination. Improper cleaning of utensils used for cooking and plates used for serving were an important factor for the fungal contamination.
The researchers found that 48.2 per cent of food samples were contaminated at vending sites located less than two metres away from a dustbin, whereas only 20.8 per cent samples of food were contaminated at vending sites located at a distance greater than two metres. This was because waste disposed at the vending site attracts houseflies. Houseflies play a significant role in the contamination of food and transmission of food-borne pathogens such as E.coli and staphylococcus.
It was also found that 78.6 per cent of samples collected from areas near the presence of open drains showed E. coli contamination, compared to 19.2 per cent of samples collected from vending sites located far from open drains.
Regarding fungal infections, 61 per cent of samples collected from sites where utensils were washed by simply dipping them in a tub, tested positive for candida species of fungus.
Time vendors are taught hygiene
Educating the street vendors selling food is one way to go. Gandhi Medical College researchers found a direct connection between literacy status of vendor and use of disposable plates. They found that 65 per cent of educated street vendors they surveyed were using disposable plates while only 9 per cent of the uneducated vendors were doing so.
Eating hot and freshly made food is another way to avoid infections. The researchers tested 20 samosa samples and found none to be contaminated because the microbes are destroyed by the hot oil in which the samosas are fried. However, if the samosas are not eaten quickly, and are kept out for a long time, even they will develop microbes.
