Assessing Microbiological Quality of the Ready-To-Eat Food Vended along the Street Around Local Markets in Phnom Penh

A ready-to-eat (RTE) food is a group of foods that can be consumed directly without further cooking or processing. However, the safety of RTE food vended along the street has become a public health concern, since the food storage and handling may lead to foodborne disease outbreaks. This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of some selected RTE foods vended along the streets at five local market areas in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A total number of 100 samples were collected, including drying clam (n = 25), sugarcane juice (n = 25), papaya salad (n = 25), and soy juice (n = 25). All samples were analyzed for Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. using serial dilution and spread plate techniques. This result showed high contamination rates, with E. coli detected in 88% and Salmonella spp. in 60% of the samples. Papaya salad had the highest prevalence of Salmonella spp. (96%), while soy juice had the lowest (16%). Notably, E. coli was present in 100% of both papaya salad and sugarcane juice samples. These findings indicate that street-vended RTE foods in Phnom Penh pose significant public health risks. The study underscores a need to improve hygiene education among food vendors and consumers, as well as the implementation of regular food safety monitoring to prevent foodborne disease outbreaks.