Bacterial contamination of domestic kitchens over a 24‐hour period

Abstract

PurposeMany cases of food poisoning originate in the domestic environment and can be associated with improper food handling and ineffective cleaning by consumers. These practices could lead to the introduction and spread of bacterial contamination in the kitchen and if not subsequently removed could present an infection risk. This study proposes investigating changes in levels of bacterial contamination at five key sites in ten domestic kitchens during a period of 24 hours.Design/methodology/approachMicrobiological swabs were used to provide an aerobic colony count and an Enterobacteriacea count. A record was kept of cooking, cleaning and other activities within the kitchen.FindingsResults showed that contamination levels varied during the day, peaking after meal preparation and generally falling overnight. There was also indirect evidence of cross contamination, particularly from hands to other surfaces. Sites such as the refrigerator handle, kettle handle and taps, which generally only come into contact with hands, show increases in the levels of contamination recorded. Levels of microbiological contamination were lower in vegetarian than non‐vegetarian households. A variety of data showed that non‐food preparation activities also take place in the kitchen. These could also introduce bacterial contamination into the kitchen and facilitate their spread.Originality/valueThe implications of these results are that the most important time for cleaning in the kitchen is immediately after food has been prepared, with attention focussing on high risk areas such as the work surface, chopping board, taps and other hand contact surfaces.

Foodborne disease risk factors among women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…A used kitchen sponge can contain a high number of bacteria, and therefore be a source of contamination when used for cleaning (Haysom & Sharp, 2005). When presented with this statement, 33.33% of NoI respondents and 21.96% of YesI respondents answered that they did not know this.…”

Resistances to UV-C irradiation of Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus in wet and dried suspensions on surface with egg residues

“…Adhesion of microorganisms to equipment surfaces has the potential to transmit pathogens to food, and this is apparent in the food industry (Simões, Simões, & Vieirab, 2010) and in the domestic environment (Hayson & Sharp, 2005;Lund & Ormerod, 1995). It is known that microorganisms hide in the inner side and/or on wet surfaces of food and medical equipments often form biofilms that exhibit tolerance to various stresses (McNeill & Hamilton, 2004).…”

Application of luminescent ATP rapid checks at ready-to-eat foods producing plant

“…On the contrary, about one third of the samples collected in the kitchens developed a number of colonies which was just above the threshold value. This situation, already described as common during the meals preparation (Haysom & Sharp 2005), was explained by the continuous introduction of a lot of not cooked materials and personnel movement through the room and was not classified as a risk situation.…”