Overtime roadside food has been one of the most consumed foods around. Issues ranging from working long distances, getting the kids lunch pack ready(on time), meetings, dates,parties etc are the main causes of the hike. Man is always on the road, the earth is revolving so to say..... When it rises in Nigeria, it ends in Seoul.
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A further research shows that with the current trend, people will tend to stay outside more and that in turn means eating on the road. Take lagos for example, with the high population density it makes the city extremely congested and as such finding shelter becomes one of the herculean tasks over there. To solve this issue, many live in the rural areas and work in the city. Waking up by 3:45am, leaving for work by 4:30am(trying to beat traffic,don't forget by 4:50am tops food vendors are already set for the day's sales), reaching the office by 8:45am due to traffic congestion. I mean there is no way you wouldn't likely eat on the road anyway, so let's see what harm they cause to your body.
Most roadside foods are made in large quantities. Estimated customers of about 1200-2500 is not easy to serve with a good hygiene routine for roadside vendors. Most of the time the owners of this mart are working elsewhere and leave all the work to their employees which most times they do it at their own contentment because it's not their businesses and honestly they are tired. So most of the time they end up coming out from the restroom to chop carrots and other forms of food contamination.
By eating street foods, you get exposed to dirts, germs and bacteria. Unhygienic handling of food may lead to diarrhea, stomach upsets and vomiting. Most of the time when you eat from the streets(especially from an unknown vendor) you likely have a bloated stomach or stomach upset. Cooking soda is another thing that does not help matters as regards to this and street vendors at the same time cannot do without cooking soda because it aids quick cooking and also preserves the food for sometimes. But to you, a bloated stomach is awaiting because this soda produces carbon dioxide and could also lead to partial constipation.
Most food vendors are given a small space for their businesses. Unlike big cafeterias and shopping malls with big spaces and organized clients, these vendors have to cope with a small space to carry out all the activities they need. So because of that you find out the wastebin, water for cooking, serving plates, and even some kids with dirts are playing around and the mum could get hold of the child any moment, the same hands they used to put the egg shafts in the wastebin is the same hands they use to mix flour. Most times the water is left open and polluted by a whole number of pollutants... dirts, carbon etc which is still scooped to cook for you. You see the bacteria chain??
Most roadside food are fast foods/junks. This is because most people are always on a rush either to catch up with work or an appointment and as usual they need it prepared quick and served hot. Food ranging from fried chicken, potatoes chips, puff puffs, plantains etc are fried with oil. Most of the times these oil are always heated or kept warm till it's past their smoke points due to the need for deep frying, this in turn makes it contain large quantities of free radicals and could lead to cancer.
Most foods prepared by the roadside are not covered owing to some belief that the food must catch the customers eye first before they would patronize them. Owing to that belief, many food are kept open, open to dusts generated from pedestrians, birds, flocks and even moving vehicles. Ordinary dusts causes eye irritation, sneezes, coughs and other times hayfever. Now what's your fate when the dust is added to the already junk food you are consuming?? well find that out!.
Polluting the food is certain.... The food are on the roadside and ofcourse cars, vans, lorries etc are all passing. Most of them run with fuel producing smoke in the process amongst other pollutants they emit and it gets on the food you take in.
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Diseases most often are not shown on the face nor carry tags. People are sick and food vendors are not of exemption. They come in contact with people on daily basis, from purchasing raw materials to selling processed foods a number a exchange comes to play. Diseases ranging from chickenpox,cold sores
conjunctivitis,head lice,ringworm,scabies etc are little of such that an infected vendor could pass it to the food you are eating.
Apart from the points above, there are many other harmful effects why you should be careful when eating outside, one of such is iron/alluminium deposits on the roasted meat you buy which could lead to heart diseases and cancer. That being said it is advisable to always plan a family trip, you could get a food plan which can take you up to two days on the road(which is very possible) so as to avoid illness of any form especially to the kids which could be worse considering their immunes are not really strong. Roadside consumption would always come to play especially for travellers but if you must take something on the road, ** at least be conscious of the server, serving routine, environment and hygiene**. And also for working parents, try to make sure your kid sticks to the home routine so as to reduce the amount of emergencies they bring back home.
