Martín Gámez N
Spain
Research Article
Pathogen Persistence in Restaurant Menus: Comparison between Materials
Author(s): Martín Gámez N, Mengual Lombar M, Carcedo I, Lopez M.A and Álava J.I.Martín Gámez N, Mengual Lombar M, Carcedo I, Lopez M.A and Álava J.I.
Restaurant menus could represent a source of cross contamination between consumers’ hands and food due to the daily manipulation, being a possible vector of certain food borne diseases if not cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. To the question if those menus are included in daily cleaning protocols, the present study aims to demonstrate the actual bacterial contamination present in their surface. For this purpose, twelve menus from Basque Culinary Center’s historical archive made on plastic material and paper/paperboard material are tested in order to find any presence of aerobic microorganisms. In addition, twelve plastic menus from several restaurants in San Sebastian (Spain), which were currently in use, were also sampled to detect presence of aerobic microorganisms, specifically E.coli and S. aureus. Unable to find paper menus in restaurants, the question of wh.. View More»
