Unsafe levels of harmful bacteria were found in over half the clothes tested in a recent study by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Dirty dishcloths can lead to severe cases of food poisoning if they’re not regularly changed or disinfected. High levels of bacteria on dishcloths can indicate poor food hygiene practices.

The HPA tested 133 cloths from 120 fast-food kitchens and restaurants in the North East of England and found that a staggering 56% of cloths contained unacceptable levels of bacteria, including Enterobacteriaceae, E. colo, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria.

Listeria, in particular, is dangerous as even low levels can cause serious illnesses to vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, the elderly and those with an impaired immune system.

Recommended advice

It’s recommended that restaurants should use disposable cloths and change them regularly, though the study found that only a third of restaurants and take-away kitchens were adhering to this advice.  The remaining 60% of establishments used re-usable dishcloths, with 15% unsure as to how often these cloths should be replaced.

Cross-contamination

Almost a quarter of cloths sampled had been used in both ready-to-eat and raw food preparation areas, leading to cross-contamination and the spread of harmful bacteria.

Disinfection of cloths

A high amount of establishments only disinfected their clothes every 10-24 hours and a number of participants admitted to leaving it longer than 24 hours.

Anything that comes into contact with dirty dishcloths will serve as a breeding ground for bacteria.  This could include employee’s hands, work surfaces and any equipment wiped by the cloths.

Dr John Piggott, the lead author from the HPA’s Food, Water and Environmental Microbiology laboratory in Leeds said:

“Although many [restaurants and takeaway kitchens] disinfected their cloths using bleach or other disinfectants, soaking does not remove the food on which the bacteria grow.  The disinfectant qualities of bleach do wear off after a period of time so soaking large amounts of cloths together can result in bacteria contaminating more cloths and creating more potential problems.”

“All of the premises in our study were given advice on how to practice better hygiene and they will be revisited to make sure that procedures have improved.”

Imagine the following scenario:  You’re on holiday in Bangkok.  You see an authentic market selling delicious fruits at cheap prices.  You’re hungry and the produce looks tempting.  You go over and grab something to eat.  But in this idyllic daydream, you’re probably not imagining the infested bacteria, antifungal agents or dangerous chemicals that are on the fruit’s surface, invisible to the eye.  You may not be able to see them, but rest assured: they’re probably going to ruin the rest of your holiday by making you ill.

It’s a harsh reality that many tourists have had to face in Bangkok over recent years.

Clamping down:

But  you’ll be pleased to know that authorities are clamping down on poor food hygiene practices in the city.

This week, authorities have declared that Vendors selling fresh and preserved fruit in Bangkok will risk prison sentences and fines if their produce is contaminated with bacteria, chemicals or other agents that shouldn’t be present.

This clampdown comes after authorities tested 153 samples from 38 different vendors in the greater Bangkok area. Over 67% of the tested sample had unsafe levels of the Coliform bacteria present.  16.2% were dyed with unsafe amounts of synthetic pigments and over 40% of the sample contained risky levels of anti-fungal agents.

Processed fruits didn’t fare well in the tests either.  Over 60% of the processed fruits sample contained dangerous chemicals.  Dark green and red pickled guavas were found to be the most contaminated fruits tested in the survey.

The survey, conducted by Authorities from the PM’s Office, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the Food and Drug Administration, the Department of Medical Sciences and the Consumer Protection Board, also found that venders were not observing proper food hygiene measures when preparing fruit for customers.

Warning to consumers:

Poor food hygiene practices may leave both tourists and residents open to a number of nasty intestinal problems, including diarrhoea.

As such, consumers are being warned to stay away from coloured fruits and to ask vendors to handle and prepare fruit in a hygienic manner.

The authorities will be retesting the vendors next month.  If any produce is still contaminated vendors could face up to two years in prison and/or a large fine.

Images used for decorative purposes only, under CC: Malyousif

Make sure you comply with food hygiene laws!

Don’t risk your reputation and others’ health.  Instead, ensure your kitchen staff are fully trained in the latest food handling procedures…

Get food hygiene certificates for your team online:

• Under two hours
• Accredited by the CPD
• Posted the next working day
• Meets all  UK/EU legal requirements

Find out more by clicking here.

[reblogged from blog.vecci.org.au]

  Is bureaucracy taking over the world?  It seems that daily, more and more regulations are being created and enforced.  Children are discouraged from playing ‘conkers’ because it is dangerous and cucumbers are now illegal if they are not straight.  Are we all going totally mad?? 

  I realise that some regulations are necessary, such as basic food hygiene; otherwise we would have all kinds of nasty bacteria lurking in our restaurants.  However, some things are completely over the top.  It is fair enough to ban smoking in a hospital’s grounds, but why stop visitors from lighting up whilst they are sitting in their own vehicles within the car park?  Is it really going to be bothering anyone else? 

  And what’s this business about having to ‘look’ twenty-five (and sometimes thirty) when you are buying alcohol?  It just creates more work and hassle for busy checkout workers.  I am all for having a safe and civilised society, but sometimes I worry that we may be heading for a Police State!

Although the most serious kinds of food poisoning are caused by bacteria, it’s very easy to kill them off before eating – by simply cooking your food properly!

The essential thing to bear in mind when cooking food is that bacteria cannot survive above a certain temperature. The purpose of cooking is hence to raise the food to a temperate high enough that the bacteria will die – this occurs at about 70°C. If you don’t cook your food to a high enough temperature, the bacteria may well survive or, even worse, multiple even faster!

As well as ensuring all food is piping hot and steaming before serving it, there are various other precautions you should adhere to, to ensure your safety. For one thing, follow the instructions on the recipe or packaging – makes sure you cook the food for the appropriate amount of time and at the correct temperature. When it comes to cooking meat, it is essential to check that pork and poultry products are cooked the whole way through before serving; there should be no pink meat left in the middle and the juices should run clear when the meat is skewered. A food thermometer can help!

As much as people may love running egg yolks, these are not safe to give to vulnerable people; children, ill, elderly or pregnant people, for example. This is because eggs contain many very harmful bacteria that must be killed before serving.

Most people have heard of food poisoning, know it is caused by poor food hygiene and know somebody who has had it. However, it seems far more people are familiar with the symptoms of food poisoning – cramps, vomiting, diarrhoea and nausea – than with what actually causes the illness. Allow me to explain:

The most common causes of food poisoning are micro-organisms like viruses, moulds and, in the most serious cases, bacteria. Bacteria is an especially dangerous source of food poisoning due to the speed with which bacteria multiply; a single bacterium, harmless on its own, can form a colony millions-strong overnight, given the right conditions! This is when severe cases of food poisoning occur – the kind that can actually kill a vulnerable person!

Bacteria have different ways of causing food poisoning, which take different lengths of time to occur. If the bacteria produce toxins, the symptoms of food poisoning will become apparent quite soon after eating the food. On the other hand, some bacteria will multiple once they are inside the body – taking anything from a few hours to a few days to grow in number sufficiently to cause illness.