Purpose: It is the purpose of this study to determine the microbiological properties of street-vended sugarcane juice and coconut water and associated preparation surfaces sold by three selected street vendors in Jeli, Malaysia.
Methods: A total of 18 beverages and 15 swab samples with 47 direct film samples were collected from 3 stalls in Jeli district, Kelantan, Malaysia. Coliforms and Escherichia coli were chosen as the safety indicator and microbiological content of beverages; whereas, Staphylococcus load represented the hygienic practices of vendors. Selective agar was used for conventional enumeration of microbial load while Sanita-kun dehydrated medium was used for direct stamping and enumeration of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
Results: Sugarcane juice recorded the highest bacterial contamination at 2.63±0.01 log CFU/ml) and coconut water at 2.56±0.01 log CFU/ml from street vendor B. The sugarcane extractor from Stall B also recorded the highest total viable counts (4.13±0.01 log CFU/ml). The results indicated that 26.67% of the preparation surfaces samples have presumptive Escherichia coli detected whereas stall B handler’s apron had the highest Staphylococcus count on both Baird-Parker Agar and Sanita-kun dehydrated medium at 3.08±0.01 log CFU/ml and 3.11±0.01 log CFU/ml, respectively.
Significance: Street-vendors should practice Good Hygiene Practices (GHPs) in preparation and handling of beverages for consumption. Regular hygienic assessment and monitoring of the quality of street-vended beverages are required to ensure food hygiene and avoid foodborne illnesses.