Publication details
Microbial contamination and occurrence of Bacillus cereus sensu lato, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli on food handlers' hands in mass catering: Comparison of the glove juice and swab methods
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Food Control |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713521007052?via%3Dihub |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108567 |
| Keywords | Cross-contamination; Food safety; Bacterial adhesion; Carriage; Hand hygiene; Pathogen |
| Description | Evaluation and repeated monitoring of a range of indicators reflecting hand hygiene practices in food handlers are of crucial importance to prevent foodborne outbreaks. There are several methods for assessing microbial contamination of the hands; however, these methods might provide inconsistent results depending on the microorganisms present. Therefore, we assessed the variability in total microbial counts and occurrence of Bacillus cereus sensu lato, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli on the hands of food handlers at three catering establishments (two staff canteens and one school canteen) using two sampling techniques. In total, 63 and 61 samples were obtained using the swab (cellulose sponge sticks [SS]) and glove juice (GJ) methods, respectively. The GJ method provided significantly higher values of total microbial contamination than the SS method (P < 0.001). Conversely, swabbing appeared to be more sensitive in the detection of B. cereus s. l. (SS, 73.0% vs GJ, 8.2%, P < 0.001) and S. aureus (SS, 27.0% vs GJ, 8.2%, P = 0.009). E. coli was detected only once (1.6%) by the SS method. Moreover, the possible contribution of the food handlers to the spread of pathogenic bacteria was evaluated. B. cereus s. l. was detected in 41.1% of the samples. All isolates (100%) carried at least one or more enterotoxin gene, confirming the high pathogenic potential of B. cereus s. l. In addition, S. aureus was found in 17.7% of the samples with the dominant seg and sei (23.1%) staphylococcal enterotoxin gene combination. In conclusion, the GJ method appears to be more effective for total microbial count evaluation, while the SS method is preferred for recovering foodborne pathogens. From the viewpoint of food safety, it is necessary to identify virulence determinants of the isolates to obtain further insights into their pathogenic potential. |