scholarly journals Impacts of Wet Market Modernization Levels and Hygiene Practices on the Microbiome and Microbial Safety of Wooden Cutting Boards in Hong Kong

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1941
Author(s):  
Wing Yui Ngan ◽  
Subramanya Rao ◽  
Long Chung Chan ◽  
Patrick T. Sekoai ◽  
Yang Pu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
World Population ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Microbial Profiling ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Wet Market ◽  
Cutting Boards

Accessing food through wet markets is a common global daily occurrence, where fresh meat can be purchased to support an urbanizing world population. Similar to the wet markets in many other metropolitan cities in Asia, Hong Kong wet markets vary and are characterized by differing hygiene routines and access to essential modern technologies. The lack of risk assessments of food contact surfaces in these markets has led to substantial gaps in food safety knowledge and information that could help improve and maintain public health. Microbial profiling analyses were conducted on cutting boards that had been used to process pork, poultry, and seafood at 11 different wet markets. The markets differed in hygiene protocols and access to modern facilities. Irrespective of whether wet markets have access of modern infrastructure, the hygiene practices were largely found to be inefficient based on the prevalence of bacterial species typically associated with foodborne pathogens such as Campylobacter fetus, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus; indicator organisms such as Escherichia coli; as well as nonfoodborne pathogenic bacterial species potentially associated with nosocomial infections, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter cloacae. Other Vibrio species, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus, typically associated with contaminated raw or undercooked seafood with the potential to cause illness in humans, were also found on wooden cutting boards. This study indicated that the hygienic practices used in Hong Kong wet markets are not sufficient for preventing the establishment of spoilage or pathogenic organisms. This study serves as a basis to review current hygiene practices in wet markets and provides a framework to reassess existing safety protocols.

scholarly journals Insights into the Microbiological Safety of Wooden Cutting Boards Used for Meat Processing in Hong Kong’s Wet Markets: A Focus on Food-Contact Surfaces, Cross-Contamination and the Efficacy of Traditional Hygiene Practices

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick T. Sekoai ◽  
Shiqi Feng ◽  
Wenwen Zhou ◽  
Wing Y. Ngan ◽  
Yang Pu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Strain Identification ◽  
Metagenomic Sequencing ◽  
Cross Contamination ◽  
Meat Processing ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Safety Regulations ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Cutting Boards ◽  
Contamination Events

Hong Kong’s wet markets play a crucial role in the country’s supply of safe, fresh meat to satisfy the dietary needs of its population. Whilst food safety regulations have been introduced over the past few years to maintain the microbial safety of foods sold from these wet markets, it remains unclear whether the hygiene maintenance that is performed on the wooden cutting boards used for meat-processing is effective. In fact, hygiene maintenance may often be overlooked, and hygiene standards may be insufficient. If so, this may lead to the spread of harmful pathogens through cross-contamination, thereby causing severe risks to public health. The aim of this study was to determine the level of microbial transfer between wooden cutting boards and swine meat of various qualities, using 16S metagenomic sequencing, strain identification and biofilm screening of isolated strains. The results established that: (a) the traditional hygiene practices used for cleaning wooden cutting boards in Hong Kong’s wet markets expose the surfaces to potentially harmful microorganisms; (b) the processing of microbially contaminated meat on cutting boards cleaned using traditional practices leads to cross-contamination; and (c) several potentially pathogenic microorganisms found on the cutting boards have good biofilm-forming abilities. These results reinforce the need to review the traditional methods used to clean wooden cutting boards after the processing of raw meat in Hong Kong’ wet markets so as to prevent cross-contamination events. The establishment of proper hygiene protocols may reduce the spread of disease-causing microorganisms (including antibiotic-resistant microorganisms) in food-processing environments.

Consumer Knowledge of Foodborne Microbial Hazards and Food-Handling Practices

1996 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
SEAN F. ALTEKRUSE ◽  
DEBRA A. STREET ◽  
SARA B. FEIN ◽  
ALAN S. LEVY
Keyword(s):  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Food Handling ◽  
Salmonella Spp ◽  
Raw Meat ◽  
Hygiene Practices ◽  
Influence Of Food ◽  
Handling Practices ◽  
Safe Food ◽  
Food Handling Practices ◽  
Cutting Boards

A national telephone survey was conducted of 1,620 randomly selected U.S. residents who spoke English, were at least 18 years old, and resided in households with kitchen facilities. Respondents were interviewed about their recognition of foodborne pathogens, foods at risk for transmitting infection, knowledge of safe food handling, and food-handling practices. One-third of the respondents who prepared meals reported unsafe food hygiene practices: e.g., they did not wash hands or take precautions to prevent cross-contamination from raw meat. Unsafe practices were reported more often by men, adults 18 to 29 years of age, and occasional food preparers than by women, persons 30 years old or older, and frequent food preparers. Respondents who identified a food vehicle for Salmonella spp. were more likely to report washing their hands and cleaning cutting boards after preparing raw meat and poultry. The results raise concerns about consumer food-handling practices. The influence of food safety training, food-handling experience, and age on food-handling practices should be studied further. Awareness of a food vehicle for Salmonella spp., for example, may indicate knowledge of the etiology of foodborne disease that promotes safe food handling. Understanding the factors associated with safe food handling will assist in development of effective safe-food instruction programs.

scholarly journals The Use of Bacteriophages in the Poultry Industry

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 872 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Żbikowska ◽  
Monika Michalczuk ◽  
Beata Dolka
Keyword(s):  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Salmonella Spp ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Public Health And Safety

The emergence of multidrug-resistant infections and antibiotic failures have raised concerns over human and veterinary medicine worldwide. Poultry production has had to confront the problems of an alarming increase in bacterial resistance, including zoonotic pathogens. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis have been the most frequently reported human foodborne diseases linked to poultry. This situation has strongly stimulated a renewal of scientists’ interest in bacteriophages (phages) since the beginning of the 21st century. Bacteriophages are the viruses of bacteria. They are abundant in nature, and accompany bacteria in each environment they colonize, including human microbiota. In this review, we focused on the use of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents to treat infections and reduce counts of pathogenic bacteria in poultry, as biocontrol agents to eliminate foodborne pathogens on/in food, and also as disinfectants to reduce contamination on food-contact surfaces or poultry carcasses in industrial conditions. Most of the phage-based products are targeted against the main foodborne pathogens, such as Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium perfringens. Phages are currently addressed at all stages of the poultry production "from farm to fork", however, their implementation into live birds and food products still provokes discussions especially in the context of the current legal framework, limitations, as well as public health and safety.

Transfer of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium from Beef to Tomato through Kitchen Equipment and the Efficacy of Intermediate Decontamination Procedures

2016 ◽  
Vol 79 (7) ◽  
pp. 1252-1258 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. GKANA ◽  
A. LIANOU ◽  
G.-J. E. NYCHAS
Keyword(s):  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Pathogenic Microorganisms ◽  
Cross Contamination ◽  
Raw Meat ◽  
Serovar Typhimurium ◽  
Cutting Boards

ABSTRACT It is well established that a high percentage of foodborne illness is caused by failure of consumers to prepare food in a hygienic manner. Indeed, a common practice in households is to use the same kitchen equipment for both raw meat and fresh produce. Such a practice may lead to cross-contamination of fruits and vegetables, which are mainly consumed without further processing, with pathogenic microorganisms originating from raw meat. The present study was performed to examine the transfer of the pathogenic bacterium Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium from inoculated beef fillets to tomatoes via contact with high-density polyethylene (PE), stainless steel (SS), and wooden (WD) surfaces and through cutting with SS knives. Furthermore, the following decontamination procedures were applied: (i) rinsing with tap water, (ii) scrubbing with tap water and liquid dish detergent, and (iii) using a commercial antibacterial spray. When surfaces and knives that came into contact with contaminated beef fillets were not cleaned prior to handling tomatoes, the lowest level of pathogen transfer to tomatoes was observed through PE surfaces. All of the decontamination procedures applied were more effective on knives than on surfaces, while among the surface materials tested, WD surfaces were the most difficult to decontaminate, followed by PE and SS surfaces. Mechanical cleaning with tap water and detergent was more efficient in decontaminating WD surfaces than using commercial disinfectant spray, followed by rinsing only with water. Specifically, reductions of 2.07 and 1.09 log CFU/cm2 were achieved by washing the WD surfaces with water and detergent and spraying the surfaces with an antibacterial product, respectively. Although the pathogen's populations on SS and PE surfaces, as well as on tomatoes, after both aforementioned treatments were under the detection limit, the surfaces were all positive after enrichment, and thus, the potential risk of cross-contamination cannot be overlooked. As demonstrated by the results of this study, washing or disinfection of kitchen equipment may not be sufficient to avoid cross-contamination of ready-to-eat foods with foodborne pathogens, depending on the decontamination treatment applied and the material of the surfaces treated. Therefore, separate cutting boards and knives should be used for processing raw meat and preparing ready-to-eat foods in order to enhance food safety.

scholarly journals Bacteriophages and Their Role in Food Safety

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanna M. Sillankorva ◽  
Hugo Oliveira ◽  
Joana Azeredo
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
General Introduction ◽  
Natural Antimicrobial ◽  
Animal Products ◽  
Bacterial Diseases ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Horticultural Products

The interest for natural antimicrobial compounds has increased due to alterations in consumer positions towards the use of chemical preservatives in foodstuff and food processing surfaces. Bacteriophages fit in the class of natural antimicrobial and their effectiveness in controlling bacterial pathogens in agro-food industry has led to the development of different phage products already approved by USFDA and USDA. The majority of these products are to be used in farm animals or animal products such as carcasses, meats and also in agricultural and horticultural products. Treatment with specific phages in the food industry can prevent the decay of products and the spread of bacterial diseases and ultimately promote safe environments in animal and plant food production, processing, and handling. This is an overview of recent work carried out with phages as tools to promote food safety, starting with a general introduction describing the prevalence of foodborne pathogens and bacteriophages and a more detailed discussion on the use of phage therapy to prevent and treat experimentally induced infections of animals against the most common foodborne pathogens, the use of phages as biocontrol agents in foods, and also their use as biosanitizers of food contact surfaces.

Air and hygiene quality in crowded housing environments – a case study of subdivided units in Hong Kong

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ka Man Lai ◽  
Ka Man Lee ◽  
William Yu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Urban Poor ◽  
Micrococcus Luteus ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Bacterial Counts ◽  
Building Conditions ◽  
Skin Bacteria ◽  
Allergen Analysis ◽  
Staphylococcus Spp

The purpose of this study is to explore the environmental quality and hygiene in crowded living environments, subdivided units in Hong Kong. Subdivided units are an emerging form of housing environment for the urban poor. It is hypothesised that subdivided unit residents have a higher risk of exposure to poor hygiene conditions but no measurement has ever been taken to test this hypothesis. Twenty questionnaires and environmental assessments were conducted. Dominant bacterial species were identified as Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus spp., and the microbial counts were correlated with building, occupants and environmental parameters. Driven by the high bacterial counts and poor hygiene observation, eight subdivided units were selected for endotoxin, glucan and allergen analysis in bed and floor dust. Total airborne bacterial counts and endotoxin and glucan in dust were found at very high levels in some subdivided units, while unexpectedly, the allergen and mould levels were low. In crowded environments the skin bacteria may mislead the environmental and atmospheric bacterial contamination. Outdoor microbial pollution and deteriorated building conditions can be the main source of indoor contamination. ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ class of bacterial counts satisfying the Indoor Air Quality Objective does not guarantee a low endotoxin and glucan level.

Handwashing Observations in Fast-Food and Full-Service Restaurants: Results from the 2014 FDA Retail Food Risk Factors Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Verrill ◽  
Marc Boyer ◽  
Laurie Williams ◽  
Jessica Otto ◽  
Amy Lando ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Management System ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Safety Management System ◽  
Food Protection ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Retail Food

Properly executed handwashing by food employees can greatly minimize the risk of transmitting foodborne pathogens to food and food contact surfaces in restaurants. However, food employee handwashing is often not done correctly nor does it occur as often as it should. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative impact of 1) the convenience and accessibility of handwashing facilities; 2) the maintenance of handwashing supplies, 3) multi-unit status, 4) having a Certified Food Protection Manager, and 5) having a Food Safety Management System on compliance with proper handwashing. Results showed marked differences in handwashing behaviors between fast-food and full-service restaurants. Forty-five percent of fast-food restaurants and 57% of full-service restaurants were found to be out of compliance for washing hands correctly. Fifty-seven percent of fast-food establishments and 78% of full-service establishments were out-of-compliance for employee hands being washed when required. Logistic regression results point toward the benefits of accessibility and maintenance of the handwashing sink and food establishments having a Food Safety Management System to increase the likelihood of employees washing hands when they are supposed to and washing them correctly when they do.

Microbiological Safety of Dried Spices

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 409-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua B. Gurtler ◽  
Susanne E. Keller
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Bacterial Species ◽  
The United States ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Product Recalls ◽  
Foodborne Outbreaks ◽  
Imported Food ◽  
Multiple Product ◽  
Pathogen Populations

Spices in the desiccated state provide an environment that allows the survival of many foodborne pathogens. Currently, the incidence of pathogen-positive spices imported into the United States is 1.9 times higher than for any other imported food. Correspondingly, imported spices have been associated with numerous foodborne outbreaks and multiple product recalls. Despite the association with recalls and outbreaks, the actual pathogen populations in spices, when found, are frequently extremely small. In addition to pathogenic bacterial species, toxigenic molds have been frequently recovered from spices, and aflatoxins have been found in as many as 58% of the spices sampled. The presence of toxigenic molds is especially problematic to the immunocompromised or those on immunosuppressive therapy and has been linked to gut aspergillosis. Numerous detection methods, including both traditional and advanced DNA regimes, are being tested to optimize recovery of pathogens from spices. Further, a number of new inactivation intervention methods to decontaminate spices are examined and discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document