A Field Study Into Hong Kong’s Wet Markets: Raised Questions Into the Hygienic Maintenance of Meat Contact Surfaces and the Dissemination of Microorganisms Associated With Nosocomial Infections

Abstract

Millions every day purchase their raw meat in wet markets around the globe, especially in Hong Kong city, where modern and a traditional way of living is made possible. While food hygiene standards in Hong Kong have more recently focused on the safety of meat sold in these wet markets, the hygienic surface level of wooden cutting boards used for processing meats is seldom observed. This original study performed microbial community profiling, as well as isolating and identifying various strains multiple wooden cutting boards from nine wet markets located on Hong Kong Island. Our study also investigated the efficiency of scraping the surface of cutting boards as a traditional cleaning technique in Hong Kong. Results indicate that these hygienic practices are inefficient for guarantying proper surface hygiene as some most tested cutting boards were found to harbor microbial species typically associated with hospital nosocomial infections, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae. Further analysis also led to discovering the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs) among isolated strains. Our results showcase the significance and effects of cross-contamination in Hong Kong wet markets, especially with regards to the potential spreading of clinically-relevant strains and ARGs on food processing surfaces. This study should, therefore, serve as a basis to review current hygienic practices in Hong Kong’s wet market on a larger scale, thereby improving food safety and ultimately, public health.

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

“…In such wet markets, wooden cutting boards are maintained using traditional cleaning procedures, which primarily involve the scraping of the entire surface of the wooden cutting board with a chopping knife until the top layer is removed, followed by rinsing the scraped surface with hot water. The word 'traditional' is used to reference the above mentioned cleaning procedures that are commonly used by Asian wet market vendors to clean these wooden cutting boards, as described in a previous study [4]. These cleaning techniques were believed to be efficient in removing contaminants until the introduction of proper hygiene practices by food safety authorities.…”

“…Sampling from the wooden cutting board surface was performed as previously described by Lo et al [4]. Briefly, pre-sterilised wooden-stick cotton swabs were hydrated with sterilized phosphate buffer solution and then used to swab a surface area equivalent to 10 cm 2 on the most used part of the wooden cutting board.…”

“…However, food safety practices in these markets need to be thoroughly assessed as there has been a recent rapid increase in foodborne disease-related incidences in some Asian countries [3]. A recent study revealed that wet-market wooden cutting boards can pose a serious threat to consumers as they harbour various pathogens, including species that are associated with nosocomial infections such as Klebsiella pneumoniae [4]. The study also revealed the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes in the isolated bacterial strains [4].…”

“…A recent study revealed that wet-market wooden cutting boards can pose a serious threat to consumers as they harbour various pathogens, including species that are associated with nosocomial infections such as Klebsiella pneumoniae [4]. The study also revealed the presence of antibiotic-resistant genes in the isolated bacterial strains [4].…”

“…Unfortunately, microbial hazards associated with contaminated wooden cutting boards continue to be a problem in the wet markets of Hong Kong due to inadequate hygiene practices [4]. However, much is still unknown about the cross-contamination risks during meat processing using wooden cutting boards in Hong Kong's wet markets.…”