Intensity of and factors influencing food safety compliance among street food vendors in urban Ghana. Benjamin Sarfo a , Stephen Opoku-Mensah b , Collins Yeboah Asiedu c,*,1 , Vincent Abankwah a a Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Education, AAMUSTED Asante Mampong, Ghana b Department of Agropreneurship, Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development, Kumasi Technical University, Ghana c Cocoa Health and Extension Division, COCOBOD, Ajumako, Central Region, Ghana ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Intensity Food safety Compliance Street food vendors Urban Ghana ABSTRACT Using count models, this paper assessed the intensity of and factors influencing food safety compliance among street food vendors (SFVs) in urban Ghana. Using primary data from 720 SFVs and analyzing them using a compliance score calculator and a generalized Poisson regression model, this study identified key socioeconomic and institutional factors that influence food safety compliance. The results showed that education, main occu- pation, business ownership, business location, business registration, permits, food handler certificates, inspection frequency, and training significantly influenced the intensity of food safety compliance. Compliance levels varied across practices, with pest control showing the highest compliance score, and cleaning and sanitation showing the lowest score. Recognizing the critical roles played by these variables, this study advocates for an intersectoral agency dedicated to coordinating efforts to enhance food safety standards among SFVs, distinct from the already existing Food and Drugs Authority in Ghana. This agency would streamline the monitoring, training, and reg- ulatory functions that are currently dispersed across various departments and agencies. In addition, this study recommends integrating street food outlets into urban planning to reduce the risks associated with mobile vending and to improve overall food safety standards. 1. Introduction Food safety concerns have surged globally due to the combined ef- fects of globalization, urbanization, and shifting consumer dietary pat- terns (Kumar et al., 2019; Mwove et al., 2020). The street food industry feeds approximately 2.5 billion people daily, providing affordable meals and serving as a primary source of income for millions of working populations in less developed countries (Addo-Tham et al., 2020; Fel- lows & Hilmi, 2012). In Ghana, street food vendors (SFVs) play an important role in urban life and offer a wide variety of food options, including packaged cuts/whole fruits (e.g., pawpaw, mango, banana, orange, coconut, sugarcane, apple, and coconut), local snacks (e.g., fried yam and plantain, roasted plantain, koose, meat pie, khebab, and soya khebab), cooked meals (e.g., banku, kenkey, plain/jollof/fried rice, ampesie, waakye, and konkonte/Tuo zaafi), and beverages (e.g., sobolo, brukina, asana, lamuji, and coconut water) (FAO, 2020; FDA., 2017; Jahn et al., 2015). Although the exact number of SFVs in Ghana is unknown, unofficial estimates postulate that they constitute about 80 % of the entire food vendor population in Ghana, with approximately 90 % of females dominating the sector (Gyebi et al., 2021; Addo-Tham et al., 2020; FAO, 2020; FDA, 2017). According to Adam et al. (2014), this food industry employs over two (2) million individuals, making it one of the major sources of informal employment in the country. However, despite the importance of this sector, many SFVs operate without proper regulation, and unhygienic personal hygiene practices such as improper food handling, cutting of finger nails, lack of sanitation, and inadequate protective gear, which pose significant public health risks (Gyebi et al., 2021; Letuka et al., 2021; Addo-Tham et al., 2020; Bormann et al., 2016; Dun-dery & Addo, 2016; Feglo & Sakyi, 2012). Numerous studies have shown that compliance with food safety practices among SFVs in Ghana remains low, contributing to frequent reports of foodborne illnesses (Al-Akash et al., 2022; World Health Organization, 2022). Researchers have consistently highlighted issues such as poor hygiene at vending sites, inadequate protective gear, and lack of formal training as signifi- cant challenges (Gyebi et al., 2021; Dun-dery & Addo, 2016). Although * Correspondence to: Cocoa Health and Extension Division, Ghana Cocoa Board, P.O.Box AJ 38, Ajumako, Central Region, Ghana. E-mail address: snrinesta4@gmail.com (C.Y. Asiedu). 1 https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1645-8173 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Food and Humanity journal homepage: www.editorialmanager.com/foohum/journal_overview.html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foohum.2024.100480 Received 10 October 2024; Received in revised form 10 December 2024; Accepted 11 December 2024 Food and Humanity 4 (2025) 100480 Available online 12 December 2024 2949-8244/© 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.