THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DOMESTIC REFRIGERATION: HYGIENIC AND SANITARY CHARACTERISTICS OF REFRIGERATORS FROM NORTHEN AND CENTRAL ITALY

This study aimed to provide information on the consumer management of refrigerated food. N° 469 interviews were carried out and the results obtained were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis and further processed with the Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Cluster Analysis. Five homogeneous groups were obtained. In each of them a significant number of refrigerators (60) were tested to assess the temperature and the microbiological status (TVC, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp.). Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were not recovered; Listeria innocua was recovered (3.3%). Regarding the TVC values, the 30% of the tested refrigerators was classified as not appropriate (28.3%) or not acceptable (1.7%). Consumer education should be focused in order to reduce foodborne disease. Only safety-conscious consumers can become active partners within the food safety chain

Antimicrobial resistance of Sthapylococcus aureus isolated from food handler.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. a.) is one of the leading causes of all food‐borne illnesses worldwide. The aim of  this  study  is  to  assess  the  prevalence  of  S.  a.  strains  in  food  handlers  and  their  profile  of  antibiotic  resistance.

La gestione della refrigerazione domestica: caratteristiche igienico-sanitarie di frigoriferi dell’Italia centro-settentrionale

This study aimed to provide information on the consumer management of refrigeratedfood. N° 469 interviews were carried out and the results obtained were subjected to descriptivestatistical analysis and further processed with the Multiple CorrespondenceAnalysis and Cluster Analysis. Five homogeneous groups were obtained. In each of thema significant number of refrigerators (60) were tested to assess the temperature and themicrobiological status (TVC, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp.). Listeriamonocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were not recovered; Listeria innocua was recovered(3.3%). Regarding the TVC values, the 30% of the tested refrigerators was classifiedas not appropriate (28.3%) or not acceptable (1.7%). Consumer education shouldbe focused in order to reduce foodborne disease. Only safety-conscious consumers can become active partners within the food safety chain.[...

Biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus on food contact surfaces: Relationship with temperature and cell surface hydrophobicity

Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) is a pathogenic bacterium capable of developing biofilms on food processing surfaces, a pathway leading to cross contamination of foods. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of S.aureus to form biofilm on food processing surfaces (polystyrene and stainless steel) with regard to different temperatures (12 and 37°C) and cellular hydrophobicity. Biofilm assays were performed on n. 67 S.aureus isolates from food, food processing environments and food handlers and n. 3 reference strains (S.aureus ATCC 35556, S.aureus ATCC 12600 and S.epidermidis ATCC 12228). A strain-specific variation in biofilm formation within S.aureus strains tested was observed. At 37°C, n. 38/67 (56.7%) of strains were biofilm producer in at least one tested surface. A total of n. 25/38 (65.7%) of strains were biofilm producer on polystyrene whereas n. 24/38 (63.1%) were biofilm producer on stainless steel. Moreover, n. 11/38 (28.9%) of strains were biofilm producers on both selected surfaces. The majority of S.aureus strains which produced biofilms (n. 17/38-44.7%), were isolated from food environments. At 12°C, only one S.aureus strain from food handler (S.aureus 374) was biofilm producer. Cell surface hydrophobicity level increased with temperature. Additionally, a statistically significant difference (P<0.001) was found between hydrophobicity at 37°C and 12°C. Finally, the architecture of biofilm formed by S.aureus strains on polystyrene and stainless steel surfaces at selected temperatures was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The appearance of thick extracellular products in strongly (S.aureus ATCC 35556 - positive control) and the absence of those products in the non-biofilm producer (S.epidermidis ATCC 12228 - negative control) is presented