Bacterial Contamination of Kitchen Sponges and Cutting  Surfaces and Disinfection Procedures

Authors

Hayyan. I. Al-Taweil1 , Ekhlass. M. Taha2, Noura Karam. M. Salih3 , Yahya Al Dawood4

Kitchen Sponges; Microbiological Contamination; Disinfection; cutting surface; CrossContamination

Background: The most common of bacterium in kitchen sponges and cutting surfaces which can play a task

within the cross-contamination of foods, fomites and hands by foodborne pathogens.

Aims and Objectives: This study investigated the incidence of bacterium in kitchen Sponge, and cutting

surfaces.

Material and Methods: a complete of twenty four kitchen Sponges were collected from home kitchens

and therefore the numbers of mesotrophic microorganism, coliform microorganism, E. coli, Salmonella,

genus {pseudomonas|bacteria genus} and staphylococci in every kitchen Sponges were determined.

Microbiological tests of all sponges for total mesophilic aerobic microorganism, S. aureus, Pseudomonas,

Salmonella spp., and E. coli were performed on days 3, 7, and 14 by sampling. The sponges involved in daily

use in kitchens countenosely with the dishwasher detergent a minimum of doubly daily

Results: Results from the overall mesophilic aerobic microorganism, indicate a major increase within

the variety of log CFU/ml. the amount of E. coli was reduced, Salmonella spp. was stabled, S. aureus

was enhanced from the sponges throughout fourteen days. Genus Pseudomonas was enhanced and was the

dominant micro flora within the sponges throughout fourteen days.

The sponges had MPN of 9.9 log CFU/ sponge, among the analyzed sponges, 8.2, 6.5, and 5.5 log CFU/

sponge wherever found to E. coli, Salmonella and S. aureus severally.

The boiling technique was the foremost effective in inactivating microorganisms and able to cut back the

overall counts by 9.9 – 4.7 log CFU/sponge (50 %), whereas the disinfection by hypochlorite two hundred

ppm reduced the overall counts by 9.9-6.8 log CFU/sponge (31 %). the typical reductions of CF (E. coli ) -

once boiling and hypochlorite disinfection- were 2.1 log CFU/ sponge (74 %) and 4.2 log CFU/sponge (50

%), severally, while 4.2 log CFU/sponge survived once hypochlorite disinfection.

There was a reduction of approximately 65-75% of all groups growth rate was to stainless steel surface, 31-

68% to polyethylene surfaces and 17- 31 % to wooden surface. Stainless steel was the best surface to prevent

bacterial contamination and survival of cutting boards using in kitchens.