Preparation of a roadmap for inspection of good practices in food handling and marketing in the informal sector

Abstract

The informal food trade plays a large social, economic, nutritional and cultural role in the lives of consumers. However, informally marketed food may be considered a health risk to the population because it can be easily contaminated due to inadequate conditions at the place of preparation, since they often occur on the street, and there is a lack of knowledge of handling, hygiene and sanitation techniques, by traders. Thus, the present study aimed to elaborate an itinerary of inspection of good practices of manipulation and informal food marketing. The structured script was based on current legislation and bibliographical references of the area. It was prepared, evaluated in the field and adjusted, post-evaluation, by a team composed of a health surveillance supervisor and the researchers. The script had 26 questions on environmental and structural aspects of trade, food handlers and quality and conditions of exposure and storage of ready-to-eat foods and raw materials for their preparation, as well as fresh foods. This instrument was easy to apply and adequate to evaluate the commercialization. In addition, it has the potential to collaborate with the work of sanitary agents, since it makes it possible to register the main irregularities observed in this segment, besides contributing to a uniform inspection.