Heavy Microbial Load in the Work Environment, Utensils and Surfaces of Domestic Kitchens

Huriyyah A. AL-Aejroosh, Noorah S. Al-Sowayan and M.M. Abd El-Razik

Background and Objective: Foodborne illnesses are a global problem. In common households, these illnesses commonly arise from unsanitary kitchens where work surfaces and utensils carry heavy microbial loads. This investigation aimed to assess the quality of conditions in working areas, especially surfaces that come into physical contact with food, in domestic kitchens in the Unaizah governorate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Microbial loads were assessed via swab samples collected from the surfaces of dining tables, food trays, cooking utensils, interior surfaces of refrigerators, washbasins and water taps. These loads are presented in terms of total bacterial counts and counts of Escherichia coli that were compared with permissible limits reported in the Microbiological Specifications and Criteria for Foods of the KSA. Results: Salmonella sp. accounted for 16, 16, 4, 32, 28 and 20% of all microbiota in the samples collected from the aforementioned surfaces, respectively. Of the total air samples tested 68 and 80% were compliant with the total bacterial count and E. coli permissible limits, respectively. Furthermore, 40% of the water samples collected from the kitchens under investigation had bacterial counts lower than the permissible limits, where total bacterial counts ranged from <1 to 2.70 log CFU mL^–1, while 48% of the tested water samples were free (<1) of E. coli. On the contrary, 60% of the water samples exceeded the regulatory limits for total bacterial count and 52% for E. coli. Conclusion: Findings from this study indicate a dire need for strict and continuous monitoring of kitchen practices in the common households of the region of interest, along with the implementation of rules and regulations for the processes of preparing, cooking and distributing food in domestic kitchens to ensure food safety.

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