Abstract

Street food vending plays a crucial role in urban food systems across many low- and middle-income countries by providing affordable, accessible, and culturally significant meals to diverse population groups. The sector generates substantial economic value through employment creation, poverty alleviation, and entrepreneurship, particularly among women and youth with limited access to formal job opportunities. Despite its importance, street food vending faces persistent challenges including inadequate infrastructure, poor access to clean water and sanitation facilities, weak regulatory structures, limited food safety knowledge, and socio-economic vulnerability that affects vendors’ capacity to maintain hygienic standards. These limitations contribute to multiple sources of contamination such as unsafe water, improper food handling practices, environmental pollution, cross-contamination from equipment, temperature abuse, and the use of contaminated raw materials, all of which pose significant public health risks and are linked to foodborne diseases including diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery. This review synthesizes existing research on the economic significance and operational challenges of street food vending, identifies key pathways of contamination, and proposes evidence-based strategic solutions. Recommended interventions include vendor-focused food hygiene training, provision of basic infrastructure and waste management facilities, risk-based regulatory frameworks, strengthened surveillance systems, and publicprivate partnerships to support safer vending environments. Ensuring effective implementation of these strategies will enhance food safety, protect public health, and sustain the economic and social contributions of the street food sector.