Effective and sustainable interventions are necessary for long‐term improvement of food safety. This review provides a summary of food safety interventions evaluated in selected low‐ and middle‐income countries in Asia between 2000 and 2020. A systematic screening of published articles from PubMed and CabDirect databases was carried out with the aid of Rayyan QCRI software. A total of 25 studies were considered in the review. A ‘before and after’ study design was the most frequently used design (64%), while five studies (20%) used a randomized control trial (RCT) design. Interventions applied focused on training to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards safe food (60%) or on specific technologies (40%). Nine of the 25 studies were specific on the value chain considered: cattle (1), poultry (1), pigs (4) and fish value chains (3). Except for one study, all interventions reported some level of success; 17 were rated as having a high level of success, defined differently across studies. However, there is a clear evidence gap for the efficacy and cost‐effectiveness of food safety interventions in market settings, both consumer‐ and vendor‐facing. A rigorous and standardized assessment of intervention effectiveness and sustainability is recommended, to not only identify areas of improvement, but also to ensure scaling of interventions with demonstrated evidence of success and sustainability.

Risk assessment is a formal process of identifying hazards and assessing the risk associated with them (risk is a combination of the severity of illness and the probability of occurrence). This review highlights foodborne disease hazards reported in beverages consumed in Nigeria for the period between 2000 and 2020. Based on a preregistered protocol and search syntax, studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect databases. Rayyan QCRI software was used to screen the articles. Data were then extracted from the included full-text articles, into a standardized excel workbook. A total of 18,762 articles were identified, from which 126 were included in the final analyses. The common beverages studied were sachet water (14.9%), borehole/well water (13.9%), cereal-based beverages (12.1%), raw/fresh milk (8.3%) and nono/nunu , which is a fermented milk-cereal beverage (7.2%). Sufficient data were available to undertake pooled prevalence estimates for some hazards within select beverages and revealed contamination rates for Staphylococcus spp. in raw/fresh milk, 12.3% (95% CI 6.3–20.0); Salmonella spp. in borehole/well water, 19.8% (95% CI 13.1–27.4); Klebsiella spp. in sachet water, 40.0% (95% CI 12.4–71.7); Staphylococcus spp. in nono/nunu , 32.6% (95% CI 14.7–53.8), and Escherichia spp. in nono/nunu , 30.7% (95% CI 21.9–40.2). Heterogeneity was present in the aggregate summary estimates. This review has highlighted the presence of several hazards of high importance to public health in commonly consumed beverages in Nigeria. The data presented here provide an entry point for future quantitative risk assessments both to determine the level of exposure of the community to these hazards and also for the identification of the most effective mitigation strategies to reduce these risks and improve health outcomes in Nigeria.

The epidemiological picture of Taenia saginata infections in Kenya is fragmented with limited available data. Although Sarcocystis species are significant meat-borne parasites, few studies have explored their occurrence in Kenya. This study aimed to estimate the occurrence of bovine cysticercosis and screen for the presence of Sarcocystis spp. A meat inspection-based survey was conducted in ten abattoirs in Narok County, Kenya, and inspection for T. saginata cysticerci was limited to the Triceps brachii muscle. The apparent occurrence of the parasite was 5.4% (95% CI, 3.8, 7.6, n=573). Molecular confirmation of T. saginata was done via nested polymerase chain reaction targeting the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene and restricted fragment length polymorphism. Sarcocystis species were identified using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction method targeting the 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequences and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. Of the 31 cystic lesions tested, 26/31 (83.9%) were confirmed to be T. saginata.Sarcocystis cruzi and S. hominis were detected in 8/31 (25.8%) and 1/31 (3.2%) of the cystic lesions, respectively. Co-infections of S. cruzi and T. saginata were found in 6/31 lesions (19.4%). The confirmation of bovine cysticercosis and S. hominis is suggestive of the presence of risky culinary and sanitation practices that facilitate transmission. This is the first report and molecular confirmation of Sarcocystis spp. in cattle in the country. The presence of both zoonotic S. hominis and pathogenic S. cruzi highlights an underexplored concern of veterinary and human health significance, warranting further epidemiological investigation.

Data are sparse on the epidemiological picture of Taenia saginata taeniasis in Kenya. Infections are underreported, and their persistence nonetheless negatively impacts the beef industry. Populations vulnerable to taeniasis in the developing world are commonly burdened with other intestinal parasites, ubiquitous in unsanitary environments. This study aimed to estimate the occurrence of human taeniasis in Narok County, Kenya, and screen for the presence of other intestinal parasitic infections. A community‐based survey was conducted in five pastoral wards, and stool samples, mainly from adults, subjected to multiple diagnostic tests. One sample tested positive for Taenia spp. by coproantigen enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (0.3%, 95% CI, 0–1.6, n = 360), and all samples tested negative on multiplex copro‐polymerase chain reaction targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene and copromicroscopy. Microscopy ( n = 361) additionally identified Entamoeba histolytica / dispar / moshkovskii at a prevalence of 15.5% (95% CI, 12.1–19.6), Giardia spp. at 5.3% (95% CI, 3.4–8.1), Hymenolepis spp. at 1.1% (95% CI, 0.4–2.8), and hookworm at 0.3% (95% CI, 0–1.6). Grazing livestock near the homestead (< 2 km) and a formal education background were associated with a reduced likelihood of Giardia spp. infection (AOR 0.07, 95% CI 0–0.36, p = 0.011, and AOR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01–0.50, p = 0.014, respectively). Our findings suggest a very low prevalence of human taeniasis in the population. The occurrence of other pathogenic zoonotic intestinal parasites highlights a public health concern and calls for a One Health approach in the enhancement of hygiene initiatives.