scholarly journals Influx of Enterococci and Associated Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Genes from Ready-To-Eat Food to the Human Digestive Tract

2007 ◽  
Vol 73 (21) ◽  
pp. 6740-6747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilia Macovei ◽  
Ludek Zurek
Keyword(s):  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Digestive Tract ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Virulence Genes ◽  
Food Contamination ◽  
Gene Copy ◽  
Marker Genes ◽  
Enterococcus Casseliflavus ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Human Digestive Tract

ABSTRACT The influx of enterococcal antibiotic resistance (AR) and virulence genes from ready-to-eat food (RTEF) to the human digestive tract was assessed. Three RTEFs (chicken salad, chicken burger, and carrot cake) were sampled from five fast-food restaurants five times in summer (SU) and winter (WI). The prevalence of enterococci was significantly higher in SU (92.0% of salad samples and 64.0% of burger samples) than in WI (64.0% of salad samples and 24.0% of burger samples). The overall concentrations of enterococci during the two seasons were similar (∼103 CFU/g); the most prevalent were Enterococcus casseliflavus (41.5% of isolates) and Enterococcus hirae (41.5%) in WI and Enterococcus faecium (36.8%), E. casseliflavus (27.6%), and Enterococcus faecalis (22.4%) in SU. Resistance in WI was detected primarily to tetracycline (50.8%), ciprofloxacin (13.8%), and erythromycin (4.6%). SU isolates were resistant mainly to tetracycline (22.8%), erythromycin (22.1%), and kanamycin (13.0%). The most common tet gene was tet(M) (35.4% of WI isolates and 11.9% of SU isolates). The prevalence of virulence genes (gelE, asa1, cylA, and esp) and marker genes for clinical isolates (EF_0573, EF_0592, EF_0605, EF_1420, EF_2144, and pathogenicity island EF_0050) was low (≤12.3%). Genotyping of E. faecalis and E. faecium using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that the food contamination likely originated from various sources and that it was not clonal. Our conservative estimate (single AR gene copy per cell) for the influx of tet genes alone to the human digestive tract is 3.8 � 105 per meal (chicken salad). This AR gene influx is frequent because RTEFs are commonly consumed and that may play a role in the acquisition of AR determinants in the human digestive tract.

Potential of Houseflies To Contaminate Ready-to-Eat Food with Antibiotic-Resistant Enterococci†

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 435-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
LILIA MACOVEI ◽  
BRETT MILES ◽  
LUDEK ZUREK
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Food Contamination ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Enterococcus Species ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Time Exposure ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Short Time ◽  
Laboratory Bioassays ◽  
Cattle Feedlot

It was shown previously that houseflies in fast-food restaurants commonly carry antibiotic-resistant and potentially virulent enterococci. In this study, the potential of field-collected houseflies to contaminate ready-to-eat (RTE) food with enterococci was assessed by laboratory bioassays. Houseflies were collected with a sweep net in a cattle feedlot and exposed in groups of 5, 10, 20, and 40 to a beef patty (from an RTE hamburger) for 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 24 h. The exposure of RTE food to flies resulted in 100% contamination with enterococci in all bioassays, regardless of the number of houseflies and the length of exposure time. In addition, with the increasing number of houseflies as well as with the increasing time exposure, the concentration of enterococci in RTE food increased. Even a short time exposure (0.5 h) resulted in food contamination, ranging from 3.1 × 103 CFU/g (5 houseflies) to 8.4 × 104 CFU/g (40 houseflies). The analysis of 23 randomly selected enterococcal isolates from RTE food after the fly exposure revealed a single species, Enterococcus faecalis. In contrast, four Enterococcus species, including E. faecalis (57.1%), E. gallinarum (19.1%), E. hirae (14.3%), and E. faecium (9.5%), represented 21 randomly selected and identified isolates from houseflies. Phenotypic screening showed that E. faecalis isolates from RTE food were resistant to ciprofloxacin (17.4%), tetracycline (13.0%), erythromycin (13.0%), and chloramphenicol (4.3%). This study demonstrates a great potential of houseflies from a cattle feedlot to contaminate RTE food with enterococci in a short time.

Friction variation in assessing slipperiness in fast-food restaurants in the USA

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Ruey Chang ◽  
Yueng-Hsiang Huang ◽  
Kai Way Li ◽  
Alfred Filiaggi ◽  
Theodore K. Courtney
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants

An Innovative Approach for Online Food Order Management System

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Anshika Srivastava ◽  
Anjali Baranwal
Keyword(s):  
Open Source Software ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Book Order ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Order Management ◽  
Restaurant Managers ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
System Administrator ◽  
Data Connection ◽  
Food Order

Abstract— Restaurants are one of the favorite premises .An online food ordering is a integrated process in fast food Restaurants to offer choice of food from menu, cooked and served or packaged hot to satisfy customer  to immediately make orders on their ownselves. Customers can also call the restaurant to pack in advance or to  deliver the food item but sometimes restaurants run out of certain items.The existing system lacks the feature to use Remote GPS tracker such that restaurant managers are auto updated about the location of the customer before reaching the restaurant. We propose a complete system to easily manage online menu where items update as per the availability of food and prices. The Customer views the products, register and place the order. The system administrator adds and manages user accounts and the Manager manages product and orders. The Kitchen meal deliverable deals with pending deliveries .The proposed system is developed using Android platform which is open source software and built in data connection modules. It also decreases labour rates to replace mobile phones to book order and table unlike employees who come to take order and payments .In advent of food consumption problems like obesity, overeating etc. ,he proposed system will show food items with nutrition based searches showing ingredients of the food items.

Organisational Culture Dimensions And Employee Performance In Nigerian Fast Food Restaurants

GIS Business ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1070-1096
Author(s):  
Friday Ogbu Edeh ◽  
Joy Nonyelum Ugwu ◽  
Isaac Monday Ikpor ◽  
Anthony Chukwuma Nwali ◽  
Chimeziem C. Gabriela Udeze
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Market Culture ◽  
Culture Dimensions ◽  
Clan Culture ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants

This study investigates the effect of organisational culture dimensions on employee performance in Nigerian fast food restaurants using cross-sectional survey. Forty fast food restaurants were selected using simple random sampling. Nine hundred and twenty five employees were surveyed. Sample size of two hundred and seventy two was ascertained with Krejcie and Morgan. Method for data collection is questionnaire. Two hundred and thirty nine copies of questionnaire were retrieved out of two hundred and seventy two copies administered. Simple linear regression was used to analyse the hypotheses with the aid of IBM SPSS 20.0. This study found that organisational culture dimensions predicted with clan culture and market culture has a positive significant effect on employee performance. It concludes that organisational culture dimensions measured in terms of clan culture and market culture engenders employee performance through effectiveness and efficiency. One of the practical implications is that Nigerian fast food restaurant practitioners should clearly define their clan culture for newcomers to imbibe to enable them increase their performance.  

Commercial Development at Rural and Small-Town Interstate Exits

1998 ◽  
Vol 1649 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
David T. Hartgen ◽  
Ji Youn Kim
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Small Town ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Network Access ◽  
Commercial Development ◽  
Gas Stations ◽  
Trade Area ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Regression Techniques ◽  
Site Competition

Commercial development at 63 rural and small-town Interstate exits is quantified and related to local market wealth, size, geography, access, traffic, site competition, and other development. Five development types (gas stations, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, sit-down restaurants, and motels) are studied. The geographic information system TransCAD 3.0 is used to determine network access and local trade area characteristics. Models are then estimated for each development type using classification and regression techniques separately and in combination. Model estimates are then compared with actual development. Results show that the relationships are complex, often nonlinear; and show high correlation between development types. The findings should be useful for planning exit land use, coordinating market assessments, determining the value of land, and assessing sites for business placement.

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