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To investigate the relationship between food safety knowledge, food safety attitudes, the accessibility of sanitation facilities, perceived economic and social constraints and food safety practices among food vendors of higher institutions of learning in Bauchi State, Nigeria.

A purposive sampling method was used to select 6 out of 13 public higher institutions of learning in the state and a random sampling method was used in selecting 181 food vendors from the list of 342 food vendors in the 6 institutions. Face-to-face survey interviews were carried out between June–September 2018 completing a structured questionnaire.

The result of the structural equation model revealed that food safety knowledge, food safety attitudes and economic and social control affected the food safety behaviour of the food vendors. Inaccessibility to sanitation facilities affected food safety behaviour negatively.

Appropriate measures to improve the food safety behaviour of food vendors in higher institutions of learning could include, for example, food safety training that could increase food safety knowledge and awareness, as well as improved access to sanitation facilities at vending sites.

There is no previous study that investigates the relationship between food safety knowledge, food safety attitudes, social and economic constraints, access to sanitation facilities and the food safety behaviour of food vendors in higher educational institutions in Nigeria.

This study aims to assess and compare the quality and safety of street-vended, ready-to-eat fried and smoked West African Ilisha fish from the major markets in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

A total of 50 samples each were obtained from ten major markets in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Samples were analyzed in the laboratory for proximate, rancidity indices; i.e. peroxide value (PV), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), total volatile base-nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine acid (TMA) and free fatty acid (FFA), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and heavy metals.

The results showed that the mean PV (meq. peroxide/kg), TBA (mg Mol/kg), TVB-N (mgN/kg), TMA (mgN/kg) and FFA (%) contents within the fried fish samples ranged from 18.86-23.11, 2.08-2.98, 14.89-17.79, 1.98-2.89 and 2.46-5.98, respectively, while in the case of smoked fish samples, the corresponding contents were found to be 9.03-15.96, 1.03-1.59, 17.29-19.36, 2.15-2.68 and 1.13-1.62, respectively. The results also revealed the presence of PAH compounds in the fried and smoked fish samples. However, majority of the PAH compounds were above 5.0 μg/kg B(a)P maximum permissible levels set by EU Regulation 1881/2006. Concentrations of Hg, Pb, Cd and Cr in the fried and smoked fish samples showed that quantities of these trace heavy metals were below the recommended limits set by the World Health Organization and hence posed no risk to the consumers. The study concluded that consumption of fried and smoked fish may expose consumers to high-level PAH.

The fried and smoked West African Ilisha fish samples used in this study were obtained from major markets in Ibadan, Oyo State, and there were limitations in getting the same samples with the same treatments in time because of poor and non-established uniform methodology of frying and smoking.

The paper helps in measuring quality and safety standards of fried and smoked fish products to reduce the incidence of food poison and enhance the health of consumers.

This research is of value to the traditional fish processors, government agencies responsible for food quality control and assurance as well as consumers, as little work has been done on this product.

This study aims to assess the quality and microbial safety of traditional smoked spotted tilapia fish from Lagos State and, by doing so, determine the quality and microbial safety level of traditional smoked spotted tilapia fish, their distribution, effects and possible public health implications of the quality/rancidity indices and microorganisms on the consumers.

Fresh spotted tilapia fish (100 samples) were collected from 20 different fishing/processing centres and divided into two batches. One batch was smoked with local drum kiln at processing centres, and the second batch was smoked with convective smoking kiln as control in the laboratory. Each batch was assessed for moisture content, protein content, fat content, crude fibre content, ash content, pH, thiobarbituric acid (TBA), total volatile base- nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine (TMA), peroxide value (PV) and free fatty acid (FFA) values. Microbiological analyses were also conducted. Each batch was assessed for total viable count (TVC), fungal count, Listeria monocytogenes count, Staphylococcus aureus count, Salmonella paratyphi count and presence or absence of Escherichia coli.

The results of the proximate composition, quality indices and microbiological analyses revealed that there was significant variations (p < 0.05) between smoked fish with different smoking methods. The mean pH, TBA, TVB-N, TMA, PV and FFA values of fresh and smoked spotted tilapia fish samples were within the range recommended by United States Food and Drug Administration. The mean TVC of fresh spotted tilapia fish samples was 6.3 × 106-8.8 × 108 cfu/g and TVC of samples of smoked spotted tilapia fish and the control were 2.0 × 104-6.4 × 104 cfu/g and 1.0 × 103-8.6 × 103 cfu/g, respectively. The mean L. monocytogenes count of fresh spotted tilapia fish samples was 1.3 × 102-2.4 × 102 cfu/g and that of samples of smoked spotted tilapia fish ranged from 1.6 × 101 to 23.1 × 101 cfu/g while samples of smoked spotted tilapia fish using convective smoking kiln showed no count for L. monocytogenes. The mean S. aureus count of fresh spotted tilapia fish samples ranged from 4.7 × 103 to 8.0 × 103 cfu/g and that of samples of smoked spotted tilapia fish ranged from 5.1 × 102 to 88.6 × 102 cfu/g and 1.1 × 102 to 3.8 × 102 cfu/g. The mean fat content (FC) count of samples of smoked spotted tilapia fish ranged from 1.1 × 101 to 6.0 × 101 cfu/g. S. paratyphi and E. coli were not detected in all smoked spotted tilapia fish samples. The study, however, concluded that the traditional drum smoked spotted tilapia fish could expose consumers to high microbial risk because of the presence of L. monocytogenes.

The fresh fish used in this study were obtained from coastal villages in Lagos State, and there were limitations in getting the samples in time to the processing centres and in preserving the fresh fish because of poor or non-availability of power (electricity).

The paper includes implications for the development of a cost-effective smoked fish, to ensure food safety, enhanced health and improve the preservation and post-harvest losses of fresh fish.

The paper helps in developing an effective smoked method that will produce good-quality smoked fish, reduce the incidence of food poison and enhance the health of consumers.

This research is of value to the traditional fish smokers and consumers. Smoked fish has been implicated as a source of microbial infection in Nigeria and West African sub-region in recent times and the need for good manufacturing practices cannot be overemphasized.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on food truck phenomenon, a particular kind of street food service, identifying two categories of performers: “Traditional Food Truck” (TFT) and “Gourmet Food Truck” (GFT). This paper evaluates and compares the efficiency performance of the main actors.

A sample of 41 food trucks in the Northwest of Italy was identified. A survey was carried out to determine the characteristics of the food truck and evaluate the efficiency performance of an output-oriented data envelopment analysis.

The two kinds of food trucks provide different levels of efficacy: the data showed that 22 per cent of the food trucks operate efficiently with an average efficiency score of 0.80. The results demonstrate that GFT are more efficient than TFT and confirm that innovation is an important key to competitive advantage in this sector.

The data collected were related only to the food truckers that operate in the Turin area and the number of variables analysed is limited to certain aspects of production and selling processes.

The results provided some managerial indicators to improve the level of corporate efficiency, operating on technical decisions.

This is a pioneer study that analyses how a business based on the combination of tradition and innovation can offer a competitive advantage and strengthen a strong connection to its territory, improving corporate performance.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of adding Aloe vera powder (AVP) in the production of mahewu with the aim of determining its shelf-life and sensory qualities.

Mahewu was produced at home (Sample B) and in the laboratory (Sample C) using a standard home-made procedure with the addition of AVP. A control mahewu (Sample A) was produced without AVP. Shelf-life was determined by following the chemical, microbiological, physical properties at 36 ± 2 °C for 60 days and the sensory properties of the products were also evaluated.

Physicochemical analysis revealed decreases in pH ranging between 3.3 and 2.4 from day 15–60 days of storage in all three samples. There was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in titratable acidity (0.2–1.8%) of all mahewu samples during storage. Total soluble solids were different amongst the samples from day 15 to day 60. The colour of the products was significantly different (p = 0.05) with respect to L*, a* and b* throughout the storage period. Microbiological results revealed an increase in coliforms bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast during storage. Sensory analysis showed that the control mahewu was more preferred than AVP added mahewu.

The study may help small-scale brewers to increase the shelf-life of mahewu.

Results of this study showed that the addition of AVP extended shelf-life of mahewu up to 15 days at 36 ± 2 °C.

The purpose of this paper is to develop, validate the content and analyze the inter-rater reliability of a checklist of good hygiene practices in food trucks (GHPFT).

The study was carried out in Curitiba, Brazil, and divided into three stages: preparation of the evaluation checklist; validation of the checklist’s content; and reliability analysis. Content validation was carried out by six experts using the Content Validity Index (CVI). The reliability analysis was performed on five food trucks by four partners using the κ coefficient.

Prior to validation, the checklist contained 34 items divided into 9 categories; after, this number was changed to 30 items divided into 8 categories. The validated checklist presented a CVI=0.867 for each of the categories and κ between 0.636 and 0.759, indicating good reproducibility.

The checklist considered the requirements of Brazilian laws, and may not reflect the good hygiene practices requirements specific to other countries.

The checklist proposed is an unprecedented tool, and may be used in the implementation of good hygiene practices and in inspections carried out by the Health Regulatory Agency for the street food segment.

The study was the first to describe the development, content validation and inter-rater reliability analysis of an evaluation checklist for GHPFT, and the results can be used by professionals working in the area.

Fresh catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is highly perishable. This paper aims to investigate the drying characteristics and quality of body-mass dehydrated catfish to determine the effective dehydration parameters for preservation.

Brine concentration (3-9 per cent), brining time (30-90 min) and drying temperature (90-130°C) interacted using the response surface methodology. Preliminary experiments were conducted to select treatments. Moisture content and ratio and drying rate were determined and fitted into five thin-layer drying models; the goodness of fit was evaluated by average grade ranking of the regression parameters. Proximate compositions and microbial load of dehydrated catfish were determined using standard methods.

Treatments with 110°C gave initial higher drying rate (0.034-0.043 kg H₂O/kg solid/h) and shorter drying time (20-21 h). Drying occurred at two falling rate periods. Midilli model ranked first in fitting the drying data. It explained up to 99.6-99.7 per cent of the total variations in the independent variables with low values of error terms; RMSE was 0.02131-0.01794 and χ² was 0.00037-0.00043, indicating good predictive quality. Processing parameters positively and significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the proximate compositions of dehydrated catfish. Treatment: 6 per cent brine, 90 min and 110°C presented the most effective dehydration parameters for quality preservation of body-mass catfish.

The dehydration technique used in this study could enhance nutritive quality and storage stability of body-mass dehydrated catfish that could serve as a useful and convenient tool for commercial application.

Hygienically processed dehydrated catfish of good quality could be used as a source of nutrients to ameliorate malnutrition and reduce post-harvest losses of catfish.

The effective processing parameters established is an important step to harness the high nutrients and economic values embedded in catfish.

The purpose of this study is to describe the nature and operations of schools commonly regarded as “Miracle Examination Centres (MECs)” in Nigeria, through the lens of stakeholders in education. This study also assessed stakeholders’ perspectives on the possible solutions to the problem of MECs.

The study design was a stakeholders’ approach involving 39 key actors within the examination system from northern and southern Nigeria. The stakeholders comprised people from the Ministries of Education (MoE), Examination Councils (EC), school owners and teachers, security agencies and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who were invited to interact, interrogate and debate the subject of MECs in Nigeria. Using thematic analysis, recurrent themes were identified from the data and used for a narrative synthesis of the findings.

MECs may attempt to circumvent quality assurance and regulatory requirements and may find support from prominent leaders and members of the communities through a wider informal economy. Interventions against MECs might only yield incremental results and must involve various groups like CSOs, anti-corruption agencies, EC and faith- and community-based groups. These interventions will be even more effective if the MoE will strengthen its integrity and improve its monitoring and regulatory functions without political interference.

This paper revealed that improving examination integrity and building a solid and reliable secondary educational level in Nigeria will be achieved through the combination of horizontal and vertical approaches that involve local actors and those in authority.

Sanctification of work research is still a growing area among management and educational guild of researchers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the intervening role of career satisfaction and affective commitment in the relationship between sanctification and turnover intentions among teachers in a Boko Haram infested region of Nigeria.

The authors adopted a cross-sectional survey design using 375 responses out of the 600 administered questionnaires to three states within the context of this study. The usable data were analyzed using SmartPLS version 3.2.7 to evaluate the hypothesized relationships.

The results reveal: negative but insignificant relationship between sanctification and turnover intention; career satisfaction and affective commitment mediate the relationship between sanctification of work and employee intention to leave.

The predictive role of sanctification was proven to be insignificant under unfriendly work environment, which is contrary to the literature on the role sanctification. The mediating role of career satisfaction and affective commitment between sanctification and turnover intention is relatively new. The two constructs constitute the mechanism through which the relationships are sustained; hence the hypotheses on the indirect relationships are established.

This study aims to review processing and utilization of snail meat in alleviating protein malnutrition in Africa. Most countries in Africa are faced with a major challenge of protein malnutrition as a result of high cost of animal proteins. This has encouraged more research works in the use of wild or game meat to meet the much-needed animal proteins.

Previous literatures on the above subject matter were reviewed. In many African countries, the use of snails, rodents and other small livestock in the wild could help in improving the nutritional needs of the people in both urban and rural areas, as well as adding economic value through income generation to the local people.

Snails are very rich in dietary protein, low in fat and cholesterol and are good sources of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. Previous studies showed that snail meat contains 70 per cent of water and its dry matter contains high amounts of essential amino acids such as lysine, leucine, arginine and tryptophan. Research studies have shown that snail contains calcium orthophosphate, a chemical substrate that could alleviate and reduce kidney diseases. Also, the glandular substances found in edible snails were found to have antimicrobial activities that cause agglutination of certain bacteria, which could be used against some ailments like whooping cough. As snail meat products have high nutritional value, spoilage sets in after one or two days after harvesting, and therefore, the preservation of snail meat has become a major concern to farmers, processors and consumers. Several preservation techniques could be adopted, which include smoking, sun drying, convectional drying and the use of natural or artificial preservatives. These methods have been found to reduce microbial load of snail meat and help to extend shelf life and keeping quality of snail meat.

This review X-rayed the importance of snail meat in the human diet and how this could be explored to enhance protein nutrition in developing countries.