Food Trucks: Assessment of an Evaluation Instrument Designed for the Prevention of Foodborne Diseases

Abstract

This study aimed to validate an evaluation instrument for food trucks (FTs) regarding its internal consistency and to establish a score classification according to the food contamination probability assessment. The instrument was applied in 44 food trucks (convenience sample), along with microbial analysis, in the Federal District, Brazil. After its application, sample collection and statistical analysis, the evaluation instrument was reduced to a 22-item final version. FTs were divided into three groups according to their ready-to-eat foods. Food trucks from Group A (hot and cold sandwiches) presented the highest percentage of contamination. The lowest percentage of contamination was observed in food trucks from Group C (regional and international cuisine). The application of the validated evaluation instrument to the 44 food trucks revealed that none achieved 100% adequacy. The reproducibility analysis exhibited an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) value of 0.780 (CI 95%: 0.597; 0.880), indicating good reproducibility of the instrument. The reliability assessment presented a Kuder–Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) value of 0.627 and a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.634, indicating good internal consistency. The proposed classification score was obtained by assigning 1 point for each item with an inadequate response, and the final score may vary between 0 and 20 points. Food trucks with up to 11 points exhibit low probability of contamination and low risk of foodborne diseases, while food trucks scoring 12 or more points exhibit a high probability of contamination and high risk of foodborne diseases. The evaluation instrument will allow effective assessment of the hygienic–sanitary practices and conditions of food trucks and potentially ensure consumers’ access to safe food.