When cooking is not enough: microbial contamination dynamics and Salmonella infection risk in street-vended grilled chicken under real vending conditions in Benin, West Africa

This dataset contains microbiological, consumer consumption, and vendor time–temperature data generated in a study of Salmonella contamination and consumer exposure associated with street-vended grilled chicken skewers in Benin, West Africa. It includes microbiological measurements from raw and grilled chicken skewers and condiment samples collected at different preparation and vending stages in Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, and Porto-Novo. Variables include total viable counts, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and qualitative and quantitative Salmonella results, with Salmonella concentrations reported as log₁₀ MPN/g where quantified. The dataset also includes individual-level consumption data (portion size, consumption frequency, and body weight) and vendor-level time–temperature data related to vending duration, post-grilling cooling, and reheating. These data were collected to characterize contamination and consumer exposure under real street-vending conditions and to support a quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) of Salmonella. The accompanying README provides detailed information on the dataset structure, variables, units, and interpretation of Salmonella results.