Good hygiene practices and microbiological contamination in commercial restaurants

Abstract

Food services and commercial restaurants have gained more space in people's lives. Thus, people are more concerned about food security and sanitary hygiene. The present study evaluated practices of manipulation and contamination of environments and the preparation of surfaces in commercial restaurants in Vitória-ES, Brazil. Data on good practices were collected through a checklist proposal based on the RDC 216/2004; air samples were collected via the simple sedimentation technique, while surfaces (countertops and utensils) were sampled via the swab technique to analyze the presence of microbial indicators (n = 12). Regarding buildings, facilities and utensils block, 50% of the restaurants were classified as unsatisfactory. In food handlers and storage and transport of prepared food blocks, 58 and 100% of the restaurants, respectively, were classified as unsatisfactory. 83% of the restaurants being classified as unsatisfactory in documentation and registration block, with emphasis on the lack of or inadequacy of the Good Practice Manual. The hygienic and sanitary conditions were considered unsatisfactory in most restaurants evaluated, representing a low agreement with the legislation. Air contamination levels were above the recommendations, which indicates inadequate practices in some of the establishments. All establishments were unsatisfactory when mesophilic bacteria were analyzed on countertops surfaces. Values of the order of 10 5 of aerobic mesophiles for knifes were observed. These results, together with the high percentage of inadequations, indicate the need for immediate action for control and prevention as well as a greater supervision by the competent organizations. Actions to reduce the risks of contamination and to ensure greater consumer safety are crucial.

Food Safety Knowledge and Hygienic Practices among Different Groups of Restaurants in Muscat, Oman

“…For instance, the first Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Berta food poisoning outbreak in Italy was explained by poor hygienic practices in the kitchen and food preparation areas [ 8 ]. The hygiene status in the restaurants and in food handling services was evaluated by enumeration of the typical contamination and hygiene indicator, namely, Enterobacteriaceae, in some studies [ 11 – 13 ]. In fact, Enterobacteriaceae count of 4 log CFU/g or higher in foods such as sashimi was considered as unsatisfactory level [ 13 ].…”

Status of Some Food Quality Prevalent in Niger: A Review

“…Niger regulation defines hygiene as: "the measures and conditions necessary to control the hazards and to guarantee the properties of a foodstuff for human consumption taking into account the intended use" (Nascimento et al, 2018). Regulations and food chain controls are intended to ensure the hygiene and safety of food from farm to table.…”

“…The diagnosis of the physician confirmed that the illness is from the food poisoning or eggs allergen and further laboratory analysis led him to administer the right drugs. Five days later, the symptoms of the boy and his sisters resolved and it remains unknown if the particular family is allergic to eggs or if was just a food poisoning isolated case (Aendo et al, 2018;Nascimento et al, 2018).…”

“…Every day, worldwide, people become sick due to the food they consume. These conditions are known as foodborne illnesses and are caused by pathogenic micro-organisms and / or toxic chemicals (Barro et al, 2003;Nascimento et al, 2018). Foodborne diseases are a problem for both developing and developed countries.…”

“…All these food safety problems are, however, more preventable by simple compliance with hygiene measures. Unfortunately, these measures are often ignored or neglected because the population is largely illiterate and / or uninformed with basic food safety regulations (Nascimento et al, 2018;Fortin et al, 2012). fundamental for the sustainability of the business because it leads to customer loyalty and the positive image of the restaurant/vendor…etc.…”