Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> Ready-to-eat barbecued beef sold by street vendors in urban Tanzania may pose public health risks due to microbial contamination. This cross-sectional study determined the prevalence of bacterial contamination, antimicrobial susceptibility, and hygiene-related factors among 43 street food vendors in Kariakoo Ward, Dar es Salaam. One barbequed beef sample and one preparation surface swab were collected per vendor. Bacterial identification followed standard culture methods; antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Bacterial contamination was detected in both beef samples and preparation surfaces. <italic>Escherichia coli</italic> was the most prevalent isolate from beef (25.5%), whereas <italic>Staphylococcus aureus</italic> and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CONS) predominated on preparation surfaces (23.3% each). Resistance to ciprofloxacin was highest among <italic>E. coli</italic> (63.6%), and resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was highest among <italic>S. aureus</italic> (50.0%). Multidrug resistance (three or more antibiotic classes) was observed across <italic>E. coli</italic> , <italic>S. aureus</italic> and coagulase-negative staphylococci isolates. Logistic regression revealed that vendors operating in unclean preparation areas (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.05–6.31) and those failing to minimize cross contamination (AOR = 2.55; 95% CI: 2.12–16.99) had significantly higher odds of bacterial contamination. Barbecued beef sold by street vendors in Dar es Salaam is frequently contaminated with pathogenic, antimicrobial resistant bacteria due to poor hygiene and post cooking handling. Vendor training, stricter enforcement of hygienic regulations, and improved food safety practices are urgently needed to mitigate foodborne illness risks in urban Tanzania. </p>