MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF STREET FOODS IN BAGONTAAS, VALENCIA CITY

AN ENTRY OF THE 2017 LOCAL MATH-SCI FAIR

RESEARCHERS:
CABABASADA, REYXTER
GARCIA, MAE DENN KLARYSS
GERSAVA, JUDEBEN
MERLAS, ROCHA MARIE
OLIVERO, KENT
PERNITES, ALEXES COLLEN
PORSUELO, OONA NICOLE
RAMIREZ, EARL DAWN

MRS. OLIVE MAE L. PALOMERA

SCIENCE RESEARCH ADVISER

CENTRAL BUKIDNON INSTITUE

BAGONTAAS, VALENCIA CITY

SEPTEMBER 2017
 ABSTRACT

CABABASADA, REYXTER; GARCIA, MAE DENN KLARYSS; GERSAVA,

JUDEBEN; MERLAS, ROCHA MARIE; OLIVERIO KENT; PERNITES, ALEXES COLLEN;
PORSUELO, OONA NICOLE; RAMIREZ, EARL DAWN; Central Bukidnon Institute.
Microbiological Analysis of Street foods in Bagontaas, Valencia city.
Adviser: Olive Mae L. Palomera
This study aims to know how much bacteria is present in street foods in order to aware
individuals of what their eating on the streets can be a major disadvantage to one’s health.
Specifically it aims to know the quantity of the bacteria (CFU) in every food samples, prevent
spread of diseases in our body from eating street foods and cite ways that could help the vendors
in preparing and selling sterilized food.
The researchers prepared clean cellophanes and six sterile glass containers. The six glass
containers wherein the food samples were placed. Early in the morning the researchers went to
the stalls and bought freshly cooked street foods along with its sauce. The food samples were
transferred to the sterile containers and were submitted directly to the College of Veterinary
Medicine Microbiology Laboratory for the microbial testing. The results included were only the
microbial count of the samples. (Found in the Results and Discussion p.9)
Therefore, strengthening the policies and proper enforcement of the vendors would
undoubtedly ensure significant reduction in the hazards of street food consumption. These would
involve the government, street food vendors, consumers and development groups along the area.
And our main goal is to raise the awareness of unwholesome practices on street food trading
through dissemination of information to the people.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers wish to extend their sincerest appreciation to the following people who

made this research possible. They contributed much for the success of this endeavor.

To God for his gift of wisdom and understanding to the researchers and for answering our

prayers in time of need.

To our beloved adviser Ma’am Olive Mae Palomera for guiding us throughout the whole

experimentation and for showing a great deal of patience.

To Central Mindanao University Microbiology Laboratory for the trust and for analyzing

the food samples.

To the vendors for allowing us to study the food that they’re selling.

To our parents and family members for the unending love and support they gave for us.

To the observers for their integrity and cooperation. And lastly, to all who were a part of

this work, the researchers would like to extend our deepest thanks.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page
Title Page ………………………………………………………………………………………i
Approval Sheet ………………………………………………………………………………..ii
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………iii
Acknowledgement ……………………………………………………………………………iv

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study ……………………………………………………………...1

Statement of the Problem …………………………..…………………………………..2
Objectives of the study ……………………………………………………………..2
Significance of the study ………………………… ………………………………….3
Scope and Limitations of the study …………………………………………………….3

REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE

Review of the Related Literature …………………………………………………….4-7

Hypothesis ………………………………………………………………………..7

METHODOLOGY

Locale of the Study …………………………………….……………………………8

Materials/Equipment …………………………………….……………………………8
Treatment/General Procedure ………………………………………………………….8

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Findings ………………………………………………………………………………9
Analysis of Data ………………………………………………………………………9-10

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION

Summary ………………………………………………………………………….11
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………….11
Recommendations …………………………………………...……………………….11
Literature Cited ……………………………………………………………………..12
Appendices ……………………………………………………..……………….13-15
 INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Street food trading solves major social and economic problems in developing countries

through the provision of ready-made meals at relatively inexpensive prices and employment for

rural and urban populace along its value chain.

Nowadays we often buy street foods because not only is it present anywhere but it is also

somewhat efficient than cooking food at our own homes which takes time. Provision of ready-

made instant meals at relatively inexpensive prices is what urban dwellers get attached to.

Its tasty attributes are linked to the culinary skill of the vendors. The economic

importance of the activities is not well appreciated due to the informal nature of the enterprise

and lack of official data on volume of trade involved.

Street foods are also enjoying increasing funding due to industrialization which is forcing

many city as well as urban dwellers to eat their major daily meals out of home. Street food

vending is a common feature of most cities and towns in developing countries.

However the informal natures of these vendors are not regulated. This gives ample room

for unwholesome practices. The results are the risk of buyers to diseases such as food poisoning,

diarrhea, typhoid fever, Hepatitis B and even death! With sanitation and safety in mind it is just a

practical move to study the microbes found in street foods along with its bacterial count.
 Statement of the Problem

The researchers will probe and query further the microbial analysis in street food.

This study aims to answer the following query:

1. How much bacteria are present in street foods?

2. Could this information help individuals know which foods are edible?

3. What are the ways in which vendors could sell sanitary food?

Objectives of the Study

This study aims to know how much bacteria is present in street foods in order to aware

individuals of what their eating on the streets can be a major disadvantage to one’s health.

Specifically it aims to:

1. Know the quantity of the bacteria (CFU) in every food samples.

2. Prevent spread of diseases in our body from eating street foods.

3. Cite ways that could help the vendors in preparing and selling sterilized food.
 Significance of the Study

The importance of this study is to aware people of how unsanitary foods bought in the

streets are. It will not only prevent people from getting diseases it can also help people save

money from the expenses in the hospital. Prevention is always better than cure. This is just one

step in arming and awakening people that food cooked at home is better than instant ready-made

street foods.

Scope and Limitations

The study was only limited on the determination of the microbial quantity of street

foods (Siomai, Tempura, Fried Chicken, Fishball, Kwek-kwek, Sauce) being sold by small

stationary food stalls frequently visited by consumers located in Bagontaas, Valencia City.

Food samples were collected and placed in a sterile container and were given to the

Microbiology Laboratory for microbial analysis at Central Mindanao University.

 REVIEW OF THE RELATED LITERATURE

A review of previous studies on street food vending is necessary to enable us to have a

view of different scholars and reporters. The knowledge so obtained will be useful to go in depth

and find out the unknown and unexplored areas. The earlier studies made on street food vending

and related areas are briefly reviewed here. Many authors have dealt extensively on the subject

of safe food. To my humble knowledge, this is almost the first research work concerned with

Street food vending in Madurai District. Hence the researcher has made an attempt to review the

various studies on this subject which are published in various journals, books and reports.

Grace P. Perdigon (1986) in his study "Street Vendors of Ready to-Eat Food: As a Source

of Income and Food for Low Income Groups", mentioned that the daily net income of the food

vendors ranged from a low ₱10 per day to as higher than ₱500 per day. Street vending was found

to be a source of family meals. Majority of the vendors were married. They were income earners

and food provider. The vending places were congested and pothered. The vending operation was

assisted by their kin or some hired workers. The vendors sold food every day of the week,

putting in 12 or more hours of work per day. The working capital was taken from the operator's

personal savings or sari ling sikap.

The initial capital investment of most street food business comes from loans from

relatives, friends or money lenders. The daily operating expenses range from ₱10 to ₱1000. The

schedule of street food business varies with the size of operation and appeared to vary with the

location of the service and the type of food sold. Some of them operated for 24 hours. They

appeared to be mostly migrants from the provinces. Simple foods are served in street food

services. These include fried and boiled snacks and other packed snacks, beverages soups, ices,

native cakes, grilled items, sandwiches, fish, cooked vegetables, eggs, fruits and bakery products.
They prepare the street foods in their homes. They just transported these to the place or street.

They used to serve in china plates with stainless steel spoons and forks. Glass tumblers were

used for serving water. Use of plastic plates and tumblers was all not found. Storing of foods was

not commonly done in Street food stalls. Street foods were handled with bare hands and unclean

utensils, serving of food directly from the cooking pot, using of plastic wrappers and improper

grooming among food handlers were observed. Cleanliness of food preparation and service area

were also not properly maintained. (MaPatrocinio E. de Guzman. 1987)

Vashit P.D., (1990) said in his article analyses that the importance, definition and the

problems of informal sector. In a developing country like India, where the pressure of population

is overall on the increase, the development of the informal sector can go a long way in

employment generation and consequent eradication of poverty. The author puts forth a few

suggestions for promoting this sector. The sector needs strong support from the government in

terms of product promotion program, entrepreneurial development, subsidies and incentives.

According to Friedman, Michelle and Hambridge (1991) in their article "The Informal

Sector, Gender and Development", emphasizes that the conception of work - (used in much

research) has made it possible to overlook unpaid work done by women, simply by considering it

as a part of the household's repetitive task. Such gender bias based on the assumption that men

alone are household breadwinners, was also expressed in the use and equate methodology to

collect information not capturing, “a multitude of small irregular ways in which women often

contribute to domestic incomes". Not only the researcher but male and female informants also

failed to recognize the importance of women's work and thus the significance of their

contributions to the economy of the poor has continually been underestimated. We examine here

the structural factors which eventually determine women's work in the informal sector, and
which refer to the overall social, economic and political conditions that exist in a particular

society at a certain historical movement.

The Nutritional Contribution and the Contaminants Content of Street Foods", revealed

that Bangkok has 20,243 registered Street vendors. About 30 percent of all the Street vendors

sold prepared food. Street food vendors outnumber other-than-street vendors who sell such

things as food ingredients. Socio-economic conditions have made vending an essential part of the

city's life. The problems commonly associated with street vending relate to cleanliness of the city

environs and the orderliness of the city's activities. The location of vending activities near to

university, school, and busy locations like shopping and market areas, places of recreation and

transportation terminals tend to create problems of cleanliness. The main types of foods are

snacks, meals and beverages. The ambulatory category of vendor had equipment and facilities

that were usually of small scale. Food was most usually sold on wooden bowls or plates,

aluminum plates and bowls and traditional earthenware. This category of vendor carried washing

water in a small plastic bucket. There are vendors having a movable rig, insulated box for ice

storage, a stove for heating food, and a washing basin. Some of them are having cooking

utensils, tables and benches as well as having serving facilities.(Rita Hutabarat L.S. 1994)

The issues of relative efficiency of the organized and the unorganized sectors, the

exploitation of unorganized sector by the organized, and the big gap between the profession and

the performance in relation to public support to the unorganized sector. This study also focuses

on the adverse implications of structural adjustment for the unorganized sector and Street food

vendors, the unprotected and neglected workers who sit and toil on the platform or near waste

disposal place to sell their food product. (Parthasarthy. G. 1996)

 Navin Chandra (1996) in his paper "The Organizing Question and the Unorganized Labor

Organizing Unorganized Workers", points out that over 90 percent of the workforce lack the

power of organization. The unorganized sector constitutes 91.5 percent while the organized labor

comprises 8.5 percent of the labor force.

HYPOTHESIS

To help the researchers answer their questions, the following hypothesis were formulated:

HO: The microbial count does not help in awakening the vendors of their unhygienic
food practices.

HA: The data gathered can help the vendors improve their knowledge on hygiene and
food practices.
 METHODOLOGY

Locale of the Study

The study was conducted at the vicinity of Bagontaas, Valencia City.

A. Materials/Equipment

Six sterile containers, clean cellophanes, street foods.

B. General Procedure

PREPARATION OF SIX STERILE

CONTAINERS AND CLEAN
CELLOPHANES

GATHERING OF FRESHLY COOKED

FOOD SAMPLES ALONG WITH ITS
SAUCE

THE FOODS WERE TRANSFERRED TO

THE STERILE CONTAINERS

SAMPLES SUBMITTED TO THE

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY
MEDICINE MICROBIOLOGY
LABORATORY FOR TESTING
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Findings

SAMPLES Estimated Average No. of Colony Forming

Unit (CFU)
1. Tempura (226) 359

2. Fishball (227) 236

3. Fried Chicken (228) 645

4. Kwek-kwek (229) 1,103

5. Siomai (230) 678

6. Sauce (231) 1,489

B. Analysis of Data

Based on the results gathered, the first sample with the highest no. of CFU’s is the

Sauce, next is the Kwek-kwek, followed by the Siomai, then the Fried Chicken and

Tempura and the sample with the lowest no. of CFU’s is the Fish ball. The street foods

being sold in Bagontaas Valencia City is unhygienic because of the (1) environment, (2)

handling of street foods, (3) storage of prepared street foods, (4) cooking and serving

utensils, and the (5) personal hygiene of vendors. Based also on the researchers research,

it is stated that the CFU (Colony Forming Unit) is a rough estimate of the number of

viable bacteria in a sample because it assumes that each colony is derived from a single

bacterium. Microbes exist as clumps or chains and are often difficult to separate into
single cells. Hence, there is a large count method where additional variation can be

introduced. For example an actual result can be anywhere between 300 to 3,000 CFU and

still be considered microbiologically equivalent. (Martin Easter, PhD. 2015)

 APPROVAL SHEET

The Investigatory Project titled “MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF STREET

FOODS IN BAGONTAAS, VALENCIA CITY”

S.Y. 2017-2018 proposed and submitted by:

Reyxter Cababasada, Mae Denn Klaryss Garcia, Judeben Gersava, Rocha Marie Merlas,

Kent Oliverio, Alexes Collen Pernites, Oona Nicole Porsuelo, Earl Dawn Ramirez, in partial

fulfillment to the subject science has been examined and recommended for acceptance and

approval oral examination.

________________________

ADVISER

______________________________________________________________________________

PANEL OF EXAMINERS

Approved by the panel of examiners for oral examination with the rating ___________________

___________________________

CHAIRMAN

_______________________ ______________________

MEMBER MEMBER

Accepted and approved is partial fulfillment of the date requirement of science X.

Date:___________________
 SUMMARY

Our study focused in arming individuals about the food they eat in the streets and may the

data gathered help consumers as well as the vendors themselves to prepare clean and sanitary

food. The materials needed were only the sterile containers and the food samples then it was

passed to the Microbiology Laboratory at Central Mindanao University. The microbial count or

Colony Forming Unit (CFU) of the street foods varied because it is stated that it is only a rough

estimate of the food samples and are still considered edible.

CONCLUSIONS

Arriving at our results and outputs, we conclude that the street foods being sold at Brgy.

Bagontaas is still edible due to the stated range which is 300 to 3000 Colony Forming Unit range

but the consumers are still posed to health threats especially on the foods with high CFU content.

Street food vendors practiced minimal hygienic and sanitary practices. The hygienic practices

included food preparation, handling of utensils, the place for food preparation and selling, and

the vendors’ personal hygiene and methods of storing and preparing cooked food. The Local

Government Unit (LGU) should provide conducive environment for consumers to be served with

good food for street food trading provides cheap and wide variety of food to urban dwellers.

RECOMMENDATIONS

From our investigation, the researchers would like to recommend this study to people

who believe that “Prevention is better than cure”. If ever a group of new researchers would

pursue this study we recommend that they (1) include the identification of the microbes in the

street food for it helps more in the analysis and interpretation of data, (2) add more samples of

street foods from various vendors at the area, and if possible (3) witness the exact procedures of

the tests made in the laboratory for better understanding of the results and findings.
 LITERATURE CITED

Friedman, Michelle and Hambridge (1991).The Informal Sector, Gender and

Development.
Grace P. Perdigon (1986). Street Vendors of Readyto-Eat Food: As a Source of Income
and Food for Low Income Groups.
Ma Patrocinio E. de Guzman et al., (1987). Street Foods in the Philippines Health,
Nutrition, Management and Livelihood Aspects.
Martin Easter, PhD (2015). What Do Microbiology Test Results Really Mean?.Food
Quality and Safety. Retrieved from http://www.foodqualityandsafety.com/article/what-do-
microbiology-test-results-really-mean/
Navin Chandra (1996). The Organizing Question and the Unorganized Labor Organizing
Unorganized Workers.
Parthasarthy.G., (1996).Unorganized Sector and Structural Adjustment.
Rita Hutabarat L.S., (1994). Street Foods in Bangkok - The Nutritional Contribution and
the Contaminants Content of Street Foods.
Vashit P.D., (1990). In formal sector - A Tool for Poverty Eradication
http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-XKKJ200904048.htm

https://books.google.com.ph/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MvHTBwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP
7&dq=microbiological+contaminants+in+food+2012&ots=GzQCuKntqH&sig=SIO2hGd4oLKP
Oxw85nLgu3PVGoA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
 Appendices

Figure 1.1 Sample 1 (Tempura) Figure 1.2 Sample 2 (Fish ball)

Figure 1.3 Sample 3 (Fried Chicken) Figure 1.4 Sample 4 (Kwek-kwek)

Figure 1.5 Sample 5 (Siomai) Figure 1.6 Sample 6 (Sauce)

Figure 2.1 Tempura Figure 2.2 Fishball

Figure 2.3 Fried Chicken Figure 2.4 Kwek-kwek

Figure 2.5 Siomai Figure 2.6 Sauce

Figure 3.1

Figure 3.2

Figure 3.3