The role of hands in cross-contamination of kitchen surfaces during meal preparation

Foodborne pathogen transmission during food preparation is a common occurrence, and cross-contamination can be a contributing factor. Behaviors that lead to cross-contamination during meal preparation have not been well characterized. The study objective was to determine how hands and food handling...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of infection control 2023-11, Vol.51 (11), p.A44-A57
Main Authors: Kirchner, Margaret, Goulter, Rebecca M., Bernstein, Christopher, Lavallee, Aaron, Schaffner, Don, Chapman, Benjamin, Jaykus, Lee-Ann
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Food handling
Food safety
Hand hygiene
Handwashing
Transmission
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Summary:Foodborne pathogen transmission during food preparation is a common occurrence, and cross-contamination can be a contributing factor. Behaviors that lead to cross-contamination during meal preparation have not been well characterized. The study objective was to determine how hands and food handling behaviors (with a focus on handwashing and touch-based events) affect the risk of cross-contamination of kitchen surfaces and foods during meal preparation. Data from a prior study in which participants were observed preparing turkey burgers inoculated with bacteriophage MS2 and a salad provided the data for analysis. Cross-contamination was assessed using environmental sampling data. Behavioral coding was performed for handwashing and touch-based behaviors. Cross-contamination risk was defined as the likelihood (number of contaminated surfaces) and degree (contaminant concentration) of MS2 on surfaces. Statistical analyses were performed in R, SPSS, and SigmaPlot. The significantly reduced risk of cross-contamination (P.ß
ISSN:0196-6553
1527-3296
DOI:10.1016/j.ajic.2023.04.162