Safety concerns lurk in background as juice vendors eke out a living

AMMAN — The rising presence of street vendors, especially juice sellers, during the holy month of Ramadan has been met with mixed reactions as some perceive this phenomenon as a positive way to earn a living, while others view their products as non-hygienic.

Um Ali, a street vendor based in Amman, told The Jordan Times that she makes juice with help of her two kids every day.

“I’m a widow, I try to make money in any possible way,” Um Ali said.

Um Ali sells juice with her two kids every day before Iftar.

She added that she is trying to teach her kids to work from a younger age. 

“If I don’t work I can’t feed my kids,” she added. 

Um Ali said that she follows food safety guidelines, makes juice by order, and sanitises her juicer and disposes the gloves after every order.

Jordanian Lubna Shobaki said that she is concerned about the safety of fresh fruit juices bought from street vendors. 

“Microbial contamination of freshly squeezed fruit juices sold by street vendors poses a great health problem in my opinion,” Shobaki said. 

She added that the improper washing of fruits before cutting, inadequate hygiene maintenance by the vendors, the storage of the fruits on potentially dust filled shelves and the use of improperly cleaned utensils were her top concerns. 

For Laith Hyari, another Jordanian, supporting street vendors helps the economy. 

Hyari added that he would rather help a university student pay their tuitions by selling juice, than support a well-established juice factory. 

“We always eat out at restaurants, we don’t know who prepared our food, we don’t actually know if the restaurant we visit follows food safety guidelines, but we do it anyway,” he said.

“If people are really concerned with the food safety requirements, have the street vendor wash the orange and squeeze it in front of you, that’s what I do,” Hyari told The Jordan Times.

Nutritionist Al’a Hamdan stated that it is very important to consume the juice as soon as it is extracted because it tends to oxidise shortly after it’s squeezed.

“A proper intake of liquids is very important and beneficial, it also helps people stay hydrated during Ramadan,” Hamdan said.

Hamdan added that people are now well aware of the nutritious value of freshly squeezed juice. She explained that anti-oxidants, vitamins, calcium, potassium and other minerals are found in fresh juices and fruits that help keep our bodies balanced during fasting hours.