Food Safety Practices among Food Vendors in Selected Motor Parks in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria

Street-vended food is an important part of urban nutrition and the informal economy but raises concerns due to poor hygiene and limited regulation. The aim of this paper is to assess the food safety practices among food vendors in selected motor parks in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria using appropriate standard procedures with a structured questionnaire.  Data obtained reveals that the majority of vendors were female (73.3%) and within the economically active age range of 26–45 years (68.7%). Over half (54.7%) demonstrated good food safety knowledge, while 30.7% had fair knowledge and 14.7% poor knowledge. Education level was significantly associated with knowledge (p = 0.006). Despite this, hygiene practices were inconsistent, with highest compliance in utensil cleaning (68%) and lowest in separation of raw and cooked foods (45.3%). Microbiological analysis revealed alarming contamination in cooked rice, with total bacterial counts reaching 5.8×10⁷ cfu/g at Adekunle Village Park 1. Pathogens including E. coli, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus were frequently isolated, the latter present in nearly all samples. Surface swabs also indicated poor sanitation, with loads up to 3.9×10⁵ cfu/cm². Antibiotic testing showed high sensitivity to ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, and ceftriaxone, though Pseudomonas spp. displayed resistance. It is recommended that vendors be supported with clean water, better facilities, practical training, and stricter regulation to ensure safer street food in Lagos.