Understanding and modelling bacterial transfer to foods: a review

Pérez‐Rodríguez, Fernando; Valero, Antonio; Carrasco, Elena; Garcı́a, Rosa; Zurera, G.

doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2007.08.003

Cited by 188 publications

(116 citation statements)

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“…When watermelon is cut, it is very moist, and moisture is known to facilitate transfer (40), regardless of whether the contact surface is dry or wet. Watermelon may also present a flatter, more uniform surface at the microscopic level than bread or gummy candies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longer Contact Times Increase Cross-Contamination of Enterobacter aerogenes from Surfaces to Food

Miranda

Schaffner

2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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Bacterial cross-contamination from surfaces to food can contribute to foodborne disease. The cross-contamination rate of Enterobacter aerogenes on household surfaces was evaluated by using scenarios that differed by surface type, food type, contact time (<1, 5, 30, and 300 s), and inoculum matrix (tryptic soy broth or peptone buffer). The surfaces used were stainless steel, tile, wood, and carpet. The food types were watermelon, bread, bread with butter, and gummy candy. Surfaces (25 cm 2 ) were spot inoculated with 1 ml of inoculum and allowed to dry for 5 h, yielding an approximate concentration of 10 7 CFU/surface. Foods (with a 16-cm 2 contact area) were dropped onto the surfaces from a height of 12.5 cm and left to rest as appropriate. Posttransfer, surfaces and foods were placed in sterile filter bags and homogenized or massaged, diluted, and plated on tryptic soy agar. The transfer rate was quantified as the log percent transfer from the surface to the food. Contact time, food, and surface type all had highly significant effects (P < 0.000001) on the log percent transfer of bacteria. The inoculum matrix (tryptic soy broth or peptone buffer) also had a significant effect on transfer (P ‫؍‬ 0.013), and most interaction terms were significant. More bacteria transferred to watermelon (ϳ0.2 to 97%) than to any other food, while the least bacteria transferred to gummy candy (ϳ0.1 to 62%). Transfer of bacteria to bread (ϳ0.02 to 94%) was similar to transfer of bacteria to bread with butter (ϳ0.02 to 82%), and these transfer rates under a given set of conditions were more variable than with watermelon and gummy candy. IMPORTANCEThe popular notion of the "five-second rule" is that food dropped on the floor and left there for <5 s is "safe" because bacteria need time to transfer. The rule has been explored by a single study in the published literature and on at least two television shows. Results from two academic laboratories have been shared through press releases but remain unpublished. We explored this topic by using four different surfaces (stainless steel, ceramic tile, wood, and carpet), four different foods (watermelon, bread, bread with butter, and gummy candy), four different contact times (<1, 5, 30, and 300 s), and two bacterial preparation methods. Although we found that longer contact times result in more transfer, we also found that other factors, including the nature of the food and the surface, are of equal or greater importance. Some transfer takes place "instantaneously," at times of <1 s, disproving the five-second rule. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year there are more than 9 million episodes of foodborne illness, over 55,000 hospitalizations, and at least 1,351 deaths that can be attributed to foods consumed in the United States (1). The CDC regularly publishes reports that summarize data on surveillance for foodborne disease outbreaks in the United States (2-6). Those reports list more than 30 contributing factors linked to foodborne disease ...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longer Contact Times Increase Cross-Contamination of Enterobacter aerogenes from Surfaces to Food

Miranda

Schaffner

2016

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…The serotype of Salmonella and the hydrophobicity of the contact surface may positively influence the adhesion process (Chia et al 2009;Pérez-Rodríguez et al 2008), and Salmonella has a greater adhesion capacity to surfaces made of stainless steel than plastic and acrylic (Chia et al, 2009;Nguyen et al, 2014), where it may be able to form biofilms (Tammakritsada & Todhanakasem, 2012;Giaouris et al 2012). This study found that the contact of chicken meat with surfaces made of stainless steel was a risk factor (odds ratio: 13.29, p <0.05) for Salmonella contamination, suggesting that disinfection of equipment made of stainless steel may be insufficient, given that biofilms formed on stainless steel are more sensitive to disinfectants than those adhered to plastic (Joseph et al, 2001).…”

Section: Serotypes Of Salmonella In Broiler Carcasses Marketed At Ibamentioning

confidence: 99%

Serotypes of Salmonella in Broiler Carcasses Marketed at Ibague, Colombia.

Rodriguez

Rondón

Verján

2015

Rev. Bras. Cienc. Avic.

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Salmonella enterica is a large group of Gram-negative bacteria responsible for a number of foodborne infections associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry products. The hygienic status of raw chicken meat marketed at Ibague, Tolima, Colombia, is currently unknown. To address this issue, a cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Salmonella spp., in raw chicken marketed at different outlets in this city. Salmonella spp. was isolated by standard microbiological methods, followed by biochemical, serological, and molecular confirmation. Additionally, risk factors associated with the presence of the bacteria were identified. The prevalence of Salmonella in raw chicken was 17.41% (47/270), and 14 different serotypes were found, out of which S. Paratyphi B (36.17%), S. Hvittingfoss (19.15%) and S. Muenster (10.64%) were the most prevalent and represented 65.95% of all serotypes. Amplification of 284 bp of the invA gene was achieved by PCR in a number of randomly selected isolates. Raw chicken as the only type of meat sold at stores (odds ratio: 2,157, p<0.05), and stainless steel as a contact surface of chicken meat (odds ratio: 13,29, p<0.05), were found to be potential risk factors for the presence of Salmonella in chicken meat. This work serves as a reference about the current status of Salmonella in chicken meat marketed in Ibague, Tolima, Colombia, and indicates the need to establish appropriate control and contingency measures to minimize the presence of the bacteria in raw chicken to prevent its transmission to humans.

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“…Pérez-Rodríguez et al [23] defined cross-contamination as "a general term which refers to the transfer, direct or indirect, of bacteria or virus from a contaminated product to a non-contaminated product". According to the World Health Organization [24], 25% of foodborne outbreaks are closely associated with cross-contamination events involving scarce hygiene practices, contaminated equipment, and contamination via food handlers, processing, or inadequate storage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%