Efficacy of two hygiene methods to reduce soil and microbial contamination on farmworker hands during harvest

Aceituno, Anna; Heredia, Norma; Stern, Alexandra; Bartz, Faith E.; Venegas, Fabiola; Solís-Soto, Luisa; Gentry-Shields, Jennifer; Jaykus, Lee‐Ann; León, Juan S.; García, Santos

doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2015.06.059

Cited by 14 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…These two observations together suggest that hands are a reservoir of microorganisms and an important vehicle for their transfer to fresh produce during manual production, harvesting, and/or packing (32-34), common practices in produce production in this region (32). Though no other studies to date that we know of have quantified the relationships of microbes between hands and produce in the agricultural environment, this implication is consistent with those of other studies suggesting that hands are an important vehicle of contamination of produce (13,(33)(34)(35)(36). We hypothesize that microorganisms measured in our study could have been transferred either from hands to produce or produce to hands, as has been demonstrated to occur (33,(37)(38)(39).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Though no other studies to date that we know of have quantified the relationships of microbes between hands and produce in the agricultural environment, this implication is consistent with those of other studies suggesting that hands are an important vehicle of contamination of produce (13,(33)(34)(35)(36). We hypothesize that microorganisms measured in our study could have been transferred either from hands to produce or produce to hands, as has been demonstrated to occur (33,(37)(38)(39). These findings and our hypothesis led to testing the effectiveness of hand hygiene interventions (soap, hand sanitizer) to improve the microbial quality of hands and produce (33,34).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…We hypothesize that microorganisms measured in our study could have been transferred either from hands to produce or produce to hands, as has been demonstrated to occur (33,(37)(38)(39). These findings and our hypothesis led to testing the effectiveness of hand hygiene interventions (soap, hand sanitizer) to improve the microbial quality of hands and produce (33,34). These intervention trials on farms showed that farm worker hands treated with hand hygiene products had significantly lower microbial levels immediately following hand hygiene treatment.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

“…Furthermore, the majority of workers on study farms were temporary employees, and a transitory workforce can present unique challenges to employers in ensuring that all employees receive adequate food safety training. Lastly, as mentioned, hand hygiene interventions in the agricultural environment (33,34) result in only a transitory (Ͻ30-min) reduction in microbial load. Combined, these challenges require effective hand hygiene interventions to address the unique needs of the agricultural workforce: reduction in microbial load and persistence, accessibility of sanitary facilities, training, and facilitative labor policies to encourage hygiene practices among produce workers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

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Contamination of Fresh Produce by Microbial Indicators on Farms and in Packing Facilities: Elucidation of Environmental Routes

Bartz

Lickness

Heredia

et al. 2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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To improve food safety on farms, it is critical to quantify the impact of environmental microbial contamination sources on fresh produce. However, studies are hampered by difficulties achieving study designs with powered sample sizes to elucidate relationships between environmental and produce contamination. Our goal was to quantify, in the agricultural production environment, the relationship between microbial contamination on hands, soil, and water and contamination on fresh produce. In 11 farms and packing facilities in northern Mexico, we applied a matched study design: composite samples (n ϭ 636, equivalent to 11,046 units) of produce rinses were matched to water, soil, and worker hand rinses during two growing seasons. Microbial indicators (coliforms, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., and somatic coliphage) were quantified from composite samples. Statistical measures of association and correlations were calculated through Spearman's correlation, linear regression, and logistic regression models. The concentrations of all microbial indicators were positively correlated between produce and hands ( range, 0.41 to 0.75; P Ͻ 0.01). When E. coli was present on hands, the handled produce was nine times more likely to contain E. coli (P Ͻ 0.05). Similarly, when coliphage was present on hands, the handled produce was eight times more likely to contain coliphage (P Ͻ 0.05). There were relatively low concentrations of indicators in soil and water samples, and a few sporadic significant associations were observed between contamination of soil and water and contamination of produce. This methodology provides a foundation for future field studies, and results highlight the need for interventions surrounding farmworker hygiene and sanitation to reduce microbial contamination of farmworkers' hands.IMPORTANCE This study of the relationships between microbes on produce and in the farm environment can be used to support the design of targeted interventions to prevent or reduce microbial contamination of fresh produce with associated reductions in foodborne illness.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

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Contamination of Fresh Produce by Microbial Indicators on Farms and in Packing Facilities: Elucidation of Environmental Routes

Bartz

Lickness

Heredia

et al. 2017

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…One method that may address this limitation is SaniTwice, a two-step technique where an excess of ABHS is applied to hands and removed with paper towels, followed by a second ABHS application (11). This technique has been shown to reduce Escherichia coli on hands soiled with beef broth and raw hamburgers (11) and to reduce bacteria and soil on agricultural workers' hands (13).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ability of Hand Hygiene Interventions Using Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers and Soap To Reduce Microbial Load on Farmworker Hands Soiled during Harvest

Aceituno

Bartz

Hodge

et al. 2015

Journal of Food Protection

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Effective hand hygiene is essential to prevent the spread of pathogens on produce farms and reduce foodborne illness. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Food Safety Modernization Act Proposed Rule for Produce Safety recommends the use of soap and running water for hand hygiene of produce handlers. The use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (ABHS) may be an effective alternative hygiene intervention where access to water is limited. There are no published data on the efficacy of either soap or ABHS-based interventions to reduce microbial contamination in agricultural settings. The goal of this study was to assess the ability of two soap-based (traditional or pumice) and two ABHS-based (label-use or two-step) hygiene interventions to reduce microbes (coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp.) and soil (absorbance of hand rinsate at 600 nm [A600]) on farmworker hands after harvesting produce, compared with the results for a no-hand-hygiene control. With no hand hygiene, farmworker hands were soiled (median A600, 0.48) and had high concentrations of coliforms (geometric mean, 3.4 log CFU per hand) and Enterococcus spp. (geometric mean, 5.3 log CFU per hand) after 1 to 2 h of harvesting tomatoes. Differences in microbial loads in comparison to the loads in the control group varied by indicator organism and hygiene intervention (0 to 2.3 log CFU per hand). All interventions yielded lower concentrations of Enterococcus spp. and E. coli (P < 0.05), but not of coliforms, than were found in the control group. The two-step ABHS intervention led to significantly lower concentrations of coliforms and Enterococcus spp. than the pumice soap and label-use ABHS interventions (P < 0.05) and was the only intervention to yield significantly fewer samples with E. coli than were found in the control group (P < 0.05). All interventions removed soil from hands (P < 0.05), soap-based interventions more so than ABHS-based interventions (P < 0.05). ABHS-based interventions were equally as effective as hand washing with soap at reducing indicator organisms on farmworker hands. Based on these results, ABHS is an efficacious hand hygiene solution for produce handlers, even on soiled hands.

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Microbiological Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance in Fresh Produce Production in Africa

Somorin

Akanni

Anyogu

2023

Antimicrobial Research and One Health in Africa

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Efficacy of two hygiene methods to reduce soil and microbial contamination on farmworker hands during harvest

Cited by 14 publications

References 25 publications

Contamination of Fresh Produce by Microbial Indicators on Farms and in Packing Facilities: Elucidation of Environmental Routes

Contamination of Fresh Produce by Microbial Indicators on Farms and in Packing Facilities: Elucidation of Environmental Routes

Ability of Hand Hygiene Interventions Using Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers and Soap To Reduce Microbial Load on Farmworker Hands Soiled during Harvest

Microbiological Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance in Fresh Produce Production in Africa

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