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Complementary feeding plays a vital role in meeting the nutritional needs of infants and toddlers. However, food safety remains a concern, particularly for homemade commercial complementary foods. This study aimed to assess the microbiological quality and hygiene sanitation practices of homemade commercial complementary foods vendors in the service area of Karangandong Public Health Center, Gresik. A quantitative descriptive approach with a cross-sectional design was employed. Four homemade commercial complementary foods samples were collected from different vendors and tested for Total Plate Count (TPC) and Escherichia coli contamination. Observations and interviews were also conducted to evaluate the vendors' hygiene and sanitation practices. The results showed that three out of four homemade commercial complementary foods samples exceeded the maximum limit for microbial contamination (1 × 10² CFU/g). Two of the four samples tested positive for Escherichia coli contamination. The hygiene and sanitation practices of the vendors showed several non-conformities, categorized as minor, major, and critical. In conclusion, most homemade commercial MP-ASI products in this study did not meet established microbiological safety standards and reflected hygiene and sanitation practices that require improvement.

Homemade food is increasingly dominating the choices of consumers who are oriented towards a healthy lifestyle. However, the belief that self-cooking is synonymous with food safety is not always supported by scientific evidence. This Narrative Review aims to build an in-depth thematic synthesis of the various dimensions of food safety risks that arise in the process of preparing healthy homemade food, ranging from biological and chemical contamination, to human behavioral factors as the main agents of contamination. The study was conducted against seven reputable sources of scientific literature published between 2010–2025, including observational, experimental, cross-sectional, and review studies. Four main themes were identified: (1) risky behaviors in the household kitchen as the dominant factor; (2) unexpected cross-contamination pathways including table salt as a vector; (3) chemical and biological contaminants hidden in "healthy" materials; and (4) evidence-based interventions that have been proven to be effective. This review confirms that homemade food safety is a behavioral issue, not just a technical one, so the intervention approach must be multidimensional and sustainable.