Bacterial communities on food court tables and cleaning equipment in a shopping mall

Dingsdag, Simon; Coleman, Nicholas V.

doi:10.1017/s0950268812002142

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…On the other hand, a study conducted in Australia reported that bacteria were found at 10 2 -10 5 CFU/m 2 (max. 10 CFU/cm 2 ) on food court tables in a shopping mall, which is a much lower result than that conveyed by the present study [17] In a further study, the number of heterotrophic bacteria on shopping cart handles ranged between 6 and 133 CFU/cm 2 [18], which is comparable to the present study that reported around 20.8 CFU/cm 2 on shopping cart handles (520 CFU/25 cm 2 ).…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 56%

Exploratory Study of Bacterial Contamination of Different Surfaces in Four Shopping Malls in Sharjah, UAE

Elsergany¹,

Moussa²,

Ahsan³

et al. 2015

J Environ Occup Sci

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Introduction: Frequent touch surfaces encountered in shopping malls can play a role in transmission of microbial pathogens and the dissemination of infectious diseases. This study aims at assessing the bacterial contamination of such surfaces in 4 large shopping malls in Sharjah, UAE. Materials and Methods: A total of 224 samples were collected from 4 different malls in Sharjah, UAE, in 2014, using sterile cotton swabs. The swabs were transferred and spread on Nutrient agar plates and incubated for 48 h at 37°C. Colony forming units were counted for each plate, then isolated and identified using colony morphology, differential staining, and growth capabilities on different types of media.Results: Out of all collected samples, 192 (amounting to 86%) were positive (contaminated with bacteria). In each mall, more than 80% of all sampled surfaces were contaminated with bacterial growth. The highest bacterial density was found on food courts' trays, food courts tables' surfaces, and food tray handles. Comparing the average bacterial count from all surfaces in the 4 different malls under study, a significant result was observed, with one-way repeated measures ANOVA yielding the following: F(3) = 3.42, P = 0.024. The highest mean bacterial counts were in the malls with the highest numbers of visitors/m 2. Conclusion: Nearly, every single sampled surface yielded a moderate to the heavy degree of bacterial contamination. This is cause for concern because infection risk depends to a large extent on infectious doses of pathogens. Consequently, cleaning services in shopping malls should be improved, and the public should be educated on the best hygiene-related precautions to be taken in malls.

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 56%

Exploratory Study of Bacterial Contamination of Different Surfaces in Four Shopping Malls in Sharjah, UAE

Elsergany¹,

Moussa²,

Ahsan³

et al. 2015

J Environ Occup Sci

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show abstract

“…These results may be affected by the common usage of wooden furniture and the cleaning method used by the schools which likely cause floor dirt to be suspended and settle on desks. The fact that students did not have a cafeteria but ate at their desks could influence the microbial contamination of the desks by bacteria that feeds on crumbs …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fact that students did not have a cafeteria but ate at their desks could influence the microbial contamination of the desks by bacteria that feeds on crumbs. 87 The sample size of five schools studied in this work may be the main limiting factor affecting the assessment of IEQ in Nigerian elementary schools. Another factor may be the period of sampling during the dry season which did not cover the entire season range in Nigeria, the rainy season being associated with cooler temperature as compared to the dry season.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building and indoor environmental quality assessment of Nigerian primary schools: A pilot study

et al. 2019

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A total of 15 classrooms went through on‐site assessments/inspections, including measurements of temperature (T), and concentrations of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). In addition, the level of surface biocontamination/cleaning effectiveness was assessed by measuring adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels on students' desks. Based on the data, the quality of facilities in the buildings was low. Classroom occupancy exceeded ASHRAE 50 person/100 m2 standard in all cases indicating overcrowding. However, concentrations of CO2 remained below 1000 ppm in most classrooms. On the other hand, indoor T was above the recommended levels for thermal comfort in all classrooms. Maximum indoor CO was 6 ppm. Median ATP concentrations on the desk tops were moderately high in all schools. The use of open incinerators and power generator sets near classrooms, which was suspected to be the main source of CO, should be discouraged. Improved hygiene could be achieved by providing the students access to functioning bathroom facilities and cafeteria, and by effective cleaning of high contact surfaces such as desks. Although ventilation seems adequate based on CO2 concentrations, thermal comfort was not attained especially in the afternoon during extreme sunlight. Therefore, installing passive and/or mechanical cooling systems should be considered in this regard.

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“…; Huys et al . ; Dingsdag and Colman ). Other bacteria such as spore‐forming and nonpathogenic Paenibacillus sp, and Flavobacterium sp.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of microbial diversity on deli slicers using polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis technologies

Koo

Mertz

Akins

et al. 2012

Lett Appl Microbiol

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Significance and impact of the Study: This study is the first to demonstrate the application of DGGE methodology to investigate the microbial diversity of food-contact surfaces such as deli slicer. These results can further enhance current understanding of the microbial ecology of food-contact surfaces and aid in developing effective cleaning and sanitization methods. AbstractCross-contamination of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria from food-contact surfaces to food products is a serious public health issue. Bacteria may survive and attach to food-contact surfaces by residual food components and/or background bacteria which may subsequently transfer to other food products. Deli slicers, generally used for slicing ready-to-eat products, can serve as potential sources for considerable bacterial transfer. The objective of this study was to assess the extent and distribution of microbial diversity of deli slicers by identification of pathogenic and background bacteria. Slicer-swab samples were collected from restaurants in rkansas and Texas in the United States. Ten surface areas for each slicer were swabbed using sterile sponges. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) was applied to investigate the fingerprint of samples, and each band was further identified by sequence analysis. Pseudomonads were identified as the dominant bacteria followed by Enterobacteriaceae family, and lactic acid bacteria such as Lactococcus lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus were also found. Bacterial distribution was similar for all surface areas, while the blade guard exhibited the greatest diversity. This study provides a profile of the microbial ecology of slicers using DGGE to develop more specific sanitation practices and to reduce cross-contamination during slicing.

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Bacterial communities on food court tables and cleaning equipment in a shopping mall

Cited by 8 publications

References 16 publications

Exploratory Study of Bacterial Contamination of Different Surfaces in Four Shopping Malls in Sharjah, UAE

Exploratory Study of Bacterial Contamination of Different Surfaces in Four Shopping Malls in Sharjah, UAE

Building and indoor environmental quality assessment of Nigerian primary schools: A pilot study

Analysis of microbial diversity on deli slicers using polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis technologies

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