Table 6 One Health-based risk-prioritization matrix for managing Microbiological hazards in informal urban food systems.

From: Environmental and seasonal drivers of microbiological contamination in street-vended foods

Hazard (severity)

Likelihood

Priority actions

Coliforms (low–moderate severity; hygiene indicator)

Common (≈ 75% across seasons)

Hand-hygiene training; utensil/water sanitation; surface cleaning SOPs

E. coli (moderate severity; fecal indicator)

Low (~ 5–6%; no seasonal effect)

Produce washing water quality; raw-veg segregation; glove use

S. aureus (moderate severity; handler-linked)

Low (3–6%; winter signal, wide CI)

Hair/skin/contact controls; ready-to-eat handling; covering of wounds

Salmonella/Listeria (high severity)

Not detected

Keep HACCP vigilance for poultry/eggs/dairy; rapid corrective action if detected

  1. Hazard severity reflects the pathogenic potential and public-health relevance of each microorganism. Likelihood estimates are derived from this study’s observed prevalence data and relative risk ratios. Priority levels integrate severity and likelihood, with additional weighting for environmental determinants (e.g., crowding and season). Recommended actions are aligned with Codex Alimentarius risk-management principles and focus on vendor training, hygiene infrastructure, and preventive inspection frequency.
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