Contamination of kitchen surfaces, during food preparation, due to bacteria present in foodstuff is one of
the main causes of foodborne outbreaks. Cells adhered to those surfaces of domestic kitchens are not
easily removed by normal cleaning procedures. Therefore, they can be a source of contamination for other
foods and objects. Several studies indicate that various pathogenic bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes,
Salmonella spp., Campylobacter, E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus survive in kitchen utensils, hands and
in bench cover materials. In this way it is of utmost importance to know the factors responsible for the
adhesion of pathogenic bacteria to kitchen materials in order to select the material less prone to bacterial
colonization. Accordingly, this chapter will focus on the study of the adhesion of strains of Listeria
monocytogenes and Salmonella enteritidis to materials commonly used in kitchens (stainless steel 304,
marble, granite, glass, polypropylene from a bowl and a cutting board and two kinds of silestone).Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT
