THE ROLE OF THE VETERINARIAN IN ENSURING FOOD SAFETY IN PUBLIC MARKETS AND STREET MARKETS

Resumo

Objective: To evaluate the role of veterinarians in promoting food safety in public markets and street markets, with emphasis on sanitary inspection, infrastructure, microbiological contamination, health education and application of the concept of One Health. The sale of animal products in open spaces brings considerable sanitary challenges, intensified by the lack of regular supervision, inadequate structural conditions and a lack of understanding of good practices by sellers. Through a systematic review of the literature, this study analyzed data published between 2007 and 2024, considering clinical and microbiological research and institutional reports. The results indicate that the lack of infrastructure and training of handlers contributes to high rates of contamination by microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes. It is essential to have a veterinarian in these places to check food, advise traders and implement health education programs. It is concluded that the improvement of veterinary performance, together with intersectoral policies and investments in infrastructure and training, is essential to ensure the hygienic-sanitary quality of food and reduce the dangers to public health.