Microbiology of street food: understanding risks to improve safety.

This article reviews the microbiological risks associated with street food, emphasizing its significant socioeconomic and cultural roles worldwide, particularly in urban and lower-income settings. It highlights that street foods, often prepared and sold under inadequate hygienic conditions without legal oversight, can harbor various foodborne pathogens including bacteria (e.g., Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium spp., Campylobacter spp.) and viruses (notably norovirus and hepatitis A virus). The review underscores limitations of traditional culture-based detection methods and advocates for molecular techniques to better assess microbial contamination and risks. It also discusses the importance of improving sanitation, food handler hygiene, and the potential role of vaccination—especially against hepatitis A virus and Salmonella typhi—in enhancing street food safety. Finally, the article calls for standardized global guidelines and strengthened regulatory frameworks to mitigate public health risks linked to street-vended foods.