International Journal of Research in Social Sciences

The paper is on Compliance of food venders to food vending regulations. The study was carried in Dodoma Municipality because of a lot of urban livelihood activities including food vending. Specifically the study aimed at identification of food vending regulations and identifies factors hindering effective enforcement of food vending regulations. The study used a cross-sectional study design. From a sampling frame of street food vendors a sample of 200 respondents was picked. Both qualitative and quantitative data was gathered. Triangulation of data collection methods was employed to collect adequate and accurate data. Documentary review was used in collecting secondary data, field visits and interviews were used in collecting primary data. The findings indicate weak compliance of food vendors regulations such as 25% of food vendors washed hands with soap prior to food preparation and serving, only 13% put on apron, 68% covered their food and served hot food while only 20% conducted their activities in clean vending places and 17% of food vendors use water from unprotected wells and tap. Also the

study revealed factors hindering the enforcement of food vendors regulation including shortage of food storage facilities, lack knowledge on food vending regulations, attitudes of customers and shortage of funds and informality of food vendors. The study recommends the Dodoma Municipality and other actors including Community Based Organizations to raise awareness through training on requirements for conducting food vending activities and public health officers to penalize food vendors who do not adhere to food vending regulations.