Street foods constitute an essential component of urban food access in Guyana. Yet, empirical evidence on consumer food safety knowledge remains scarce, with existing research focused mainly on street food vendors. This study assessed consumer food safety knowledge in Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana, and examined demographic factors associated with high knowledge. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 104 consumers using a structured questionnaire comprising demographic characteristics and 18 food safety knowledge items. Knowledge scores were derived from correct responses and categorized into low, moderate, and high levels. Descriptive analyses summarized overall and item-level knowledge, while Chi-square tests and odds ratios examined associations between knowledge and demographic variables. A multivariable binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify independent predictors of high food safety knowledge. Overall, most consumers demonstrated moderate food safety knowledge, with persistent deficiencies in technical and pathogen-related concepts despite relatively strong awareness of general hygiene practices. Item-level analyses showed significant associations between overall knowledge classification and understanding of microbial contamination, foodborne pathogens, reheating risks, and adverse health outcomes linked to foodborne disease. Bivariate analyses revealed no statistically significant associations between knowledge level and gender, age group, ethnicity, or place of education. In the multivariable model, educational attainment emerged as the only statistically significant independent predictor of high food safety knowledge (adjusted OR = 2.35), while age showed a positive but borderline association. The modest explanatory power of the model (8.8%, Cox & Snell R², and 12.4% Nagelkerke R²) suggests that factors beyond basic demographics alone shape consumer food safety knowledge. These findings indicate that improving consumer food safety in Guyana will require targeted, context-specific education to address technical knowledge gaps, implemented alongside vendor training, infrastructure support, and regulatory measures within informal food systems.
Francois et al. (Thu,) studied this question.