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Dairy, Food and Environmental Sanitation Abstracts - June, 2001
SUMMARY Several newly developed instrument-free hygiene monitoring systems based on protein detection were assessed for their ability to evaluate surface cleanliness. Their performance under controlled laboratory conditions was compared to that of both adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence and traditional agar-based microbiological methods. Stainless steel surfaces were inoculated with known levels of Escherichia coli or with food debris of the type likely to be found in different food preparation environments. The hygiene monitoring methods were then used to sample the surfaces while they were still wet or after they had been air dried for 1 hour. The ability of the various methods to detect bioburden depended on the level of contamination and the combination of microbial count and food debris present. The most sensitive protein detection tests were superior or comparable to ATP bioluminescence in detecting bioburden high in protein. In the presence of bioburden with a low protein content but a high microbial count, none of the protein detection tests indicated that surfaces were unsuitable for food production, although agar-based microbiological methods indicated that large numbers of bacteria were present. The implications of these findings will be discussed in relation to hygiene monitoring in the food industry. Are Gloves the Answer? The use of gloves of various types, which are employed for their protective qualities, is an indispensable part of many occupations. Gloves are now being seriously considered as a means to decrease the infectious hazards presented by ill or asymptomatic food workers during food preparation. Used in this manner, their main importance may lie in a mere perception of a safety advantage resulting from a decrease of consumer food-safety anxieties. Real protection of the food chain through glove use may be more elusive and dependent on numerous factors. |