Food Safety Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Street Momo Vendors and Microbiological Quality of Steamed Momos in East Delhi: A Pre–Post Intervention Study

Abstract

Background: Steamed momos are among the most popular street foods in East Delhi, widely consumed for their affordability and convenience. Despite their popularity, evidence on their microbiological safety is limited, raising concerns due to the potential public health risks associated with unhygienic street food handling. Objective: The study evaluated Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) of 50 vegetable steamed momo vendors in East Delhi regarding food safety and hygiene, implemented a two-month Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) intervention, and conducted microbiological analysis of 30 momo samples before intervention to determine food safety status. Methods: The study involvedmixed-methods, pre–post intervention design incorporating microbiological assessment where vendor KAP was assessed using structured questionnaires (Knowledge: 19 MCQs; Attitude: 12 Likert scale items; Practice: 24 binary/MCQ items). Three intervention sessions included bilingual FSSAI posters, hygiene demonstrations, and vendor engagement sessions. Microbiological testing was done pre-intervention to analyze Total Plate Count (TPC), coliforms, E. coli, and Salmonella in momo samples following BIS/FSSAI standards. If all the four parameters for microbial safety were within limits, then the sample was considered safe. Results: Pre-intervention, 42% vendors demonstrated good knowledge, improving significantly to 70% post-intervention (p=0.004). Attitude shifted from 48% good to 68% (p=0.05), while practices remained fair (38-44% good, p=0.81). Total KAP improved significantly (67.9±13.91 to 73.62±10.91, p=0.024). Microbiological analysis revealed concerning safety levels: 67% (20/30) momo samples unsafe, with 13% (4/30) Salmonella-positive. TPC ranged 1.0×10⁵-8.0×10⁵ CFU/g; elevated coliforms detected in 37% samples. The KAP of vendors before intervention was similar in safe and unsafe momo samples (p=0.120). Conclusion: The study highlights substantial food safety risks associated with street-vended steamed momos in East Delhi since only one-third Momo samples were found to be safe, posing an important public health concern. While the IEC intervention improved vendors’ knowledge and attitudes, the limited improvement in hygienic practices reveals a persistent knowledge–practice gap. Addressing this gap through continuous training, improved infrastructure, and stronger regulatory enforcement is essential to reduce foodborne disease risks in urban street food settings.