Food Protection Trends

Abstracts - November 2006

Identity and Numbers of Bacteria Present on Tabletops and in Dishcloths Used to Wipe Down Tabletops in Public Restaurants and Bars  

Older Adults’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Listeriosis Prevention 

Identity and Numbers of Bacteria Present on Tabletops and in Dishcloths Used to Wipe Down Tabletops in Public Restaurants and Bars

M. Susana Yepiz-Gomez, Kelly R. Bright, and Charles P. Gerba

The University of Arizona, Dept. of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA

SUMMARY Dishcloths used in restaurants and bars (23 restaurant cloths, 14 bar cloths) were collected, and tabletops (10 restaurants) were swabbed, to determine the occurrence of bacteria. Coliforms were isolated from 89.2% of dishcloths and 70% of tabletops. Escherichia coli was isolated from 54.1% of dishcloths and 20% of tabletops. The numbers of heterotrophic plate count bacteria (HPC) and coliforms were significantly higher in bars than in restaurants. The levels of HPC found in dishcloths were 25-fold and coliforms were 60- to 120-fold lower than the levels found in home dishcloths reported in previous studies. The numbers recovered from restaurant tabletops were also lower than those from household kitchen countertops. The most commonly isolated genera from dishcloths in restaurants and bars differed from those in homes. The numbers found for HPC on restaurant tabletops were 45-fold greater after cleaning than prior to cleaning. There were also a 19-fold greater number of coliforms and twice as many E. coli. Therefore, although the mandatory use of sanitizers in restaurants and bars may have reduced contamination levels and caused a shift in the microbial populations present in food service establishments, the implication of dishcloths in contamination of tabletops through cleaning suggests that current monitoring of linen sanitation solutions might be inadequate.

Older Adults’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Listeriosis Prevention

Sheryl C. Cates-1, Katherine M. Kosa-1, Toby Teneyck-2, Lee-Ann Jaykus-3, Christina Moore-3, and Peter Cowen-4

1-RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, P.O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
2-Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, 433B Berkey Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
3-Department of Food Science, North Carolina State University, 400 Dan Allen Drive, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
4-College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC 27606, USA

SUMMARY
Older adults can reduce their risk of contracting listeriosis from consumption of deli meats by keeping their refrigerator at 40°F or below and storing deli meats for the recommended time or less. In this exploratory study, we distributed a fact sheet on listeriosis prevention to 48 adults 60 years of age or older. We assessed participants’ food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices before and after receiving the fact sheet. The subjects participated in focus groups to discuss their impressions of the fact sheet, whether they had made any changes based on the information provided, and barriers to adopting the recommended practices. Before the study, most participants had not heard of Listeria and were unaware of prevention practices for listeriosis. Participants’ awareness of Listeria, potential food sources, and recommended prevention practices, as well as their understanding that older adults are at relatively high risk for listeriosis, increased after receiving the fact sheet. Adoption of the recommended practices was not widespread, because many participants were not concerned about contracting listeriosis. Reaching older adults with multiple messages on listeriosis prevention through multiple delivery mechanisms will help to increase awareness and adoption of the recommended practices.