Prevention of travel-related foodborne diseases : microbiological risk assessment of food handlers and ready-to-eat foods in northern Italy airport restaurants
Articolo
Data di Pubblicazione:
2013
Citazione:
Prevention of travel-related foodborne diseases : microbiological risk assessment of food handlers and ready-to-eat foods in northern Italy airport restaurants / C.M. Balzaretti, M.A. Marzano. - In: FOOD CONTROL. - ISSN 0956-7135. - 29:1(2013 Jan), pp. 202-207.
Abstract:
The focus of this study was to assess the hygienic standards of 44 foodservice facilities located in three Italian International Airports (with an output ranging from 100 to 800 meals a day), by monitoring the microbiological quality and safety of foods ready for consumption (n = 773), food contact surfaces (n = 302), and food handlers (n = 287). The hygienic standard of surfaces was sufficiently high. Only 7.9% of surfaces did not conform with advisory standards in terms of total coliforms, and 2.6% were found to be contaminated with Enterococcus spp. at >= 1.0 log(10) CFU/cm(2). The hygienic standard of washed and disinfected hands of food workers was not adequately high: the total bacterial count and coagulase positive Staphylococci exceeded the satisfactory limit in 8.4% and 3.5% of cases, respectively. The microbial analysis of foods examined showed an absence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. Food sample analyses highlighted a percentage of samples that did not conform to microbial reference standards: Staphylococcus aureus non-conforming percentages ranged from 2.3% for "fully cooked food" to 9.2% for "raw fruit and vegetables"; Escherichia coil, from 0.0% for "raw fruit and vegetables" to 6.1% for "cooked and uncooked foods"; total coliforms from 14.3% for "fully cooked food" to 79.8% for "cooked and uncooked food". In conclusion, the results suggest that more effort is needed in the application of HACCP principles. In order to prevent travel-related foodborne infections, various changes in the timing of food preparation and holding temperatures are needed, together with further training of food handlers.
Tipologia IRIS:
01 - Articolo su periodico
Keywords:
Airport catering ; Ready-to-eat food ; Microbiological safety ; Travel-related foodborne diseases ; Food handlers ; Food contact surfaces
Elenco autori:
C.M. Balzaretti, M.A. Marzano
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