Vendor Hygiene Practices, Temporal Variation, and Microbial Quality of Soya Kebabs Sold in Public and Private Basic Schools in Sunyani, Ghana.

Food safety in basic schools across developing countries poses significant public health challenges. Soya kebabs, popular protein-rich snacks sold in Ghanaian schools, have received limited microbiological safety assessment despite widespread consumption. This study investigated the microbial quality of soya kebabs sold in basic schools (covering primary and junior high education, grades 1-9) within Sunyani Municipality, Ghana, examining relationships between vendor hygiene practices and contamination levels. A cross-sectional study was conducted across 25 basic schools from March to June 2025. Soya kebab samples (n = 50) were collected from 25 vendors at two time points (early week: Monday-Tuesday; late week: Thursday-Friday) and analyzed for total aerobic counts, coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and fungi using standard microbiological methods. Vendor hygiene assessments were performed using structured observation checklists for all 25 vendors. Bacterial contamination levels varied substantially throughout the school week. Total aerobic counts ranged from 4.18 ± 0.13 to 4.71 ± 0.20 log10 CFU/g, while S. aureus contamination ranged from 2.28 ± 0.13 to 4.12 ± 0.10 log10 CFU/g (p < 0.001). E. coli levels ranged between 1.85 ± 0.16 and 2.43 ± 0.19 log10 CFU/g. Public schools showed significantly higher contamination than private schools across multiple parameters. Vendor assessments revealed critical deficiencies: only 16% demonstrated adequate hand washing, 28% had hand washing facilities, and 12% maintained proper temperature control. A strong negative correlation (r = -0.780, p < 0.001) existed between hygiene scores and contamination levels. The study reveals substantial quality variation in soya kebabs throughout the school week and widespread hygiene deficiencies posing significant health risks to students. Targeted interventions addressing vendor training and infrastructure provision could substantially reduce these food safety risks.