Studies on the Microbial Population of Food Served into Hospitals and its Effective Surrounding Environment

Abstract

One hundred of each food samples (raw food and Ready to eat food sample) were collected from a hospital compound at Cairo governorate. In addition, 37 hands of workers swabs and 50 surface swab samples were collected. All samples were transported to the laboratory in an insulated box immediately to determine their microbiological safety, then conducting the molecular characterization of the isolated bacteria. The mean log values for total bacterial counts were (4.62±0.28, 3.68±0.14, 2.57±0.15 and 3.25±0.17), for the raw food samples, ready-to-eat samples, hand worker swabs and food contact surface swabs, respectively. Meanwhile the mean log of total coliform counts were 2.31±0.21, 1.83±0.37, 1.67±0.07 and 1.52±0.11, respectively. The total staphylococcal counts means were 4.30±0.07, 2.70±0.33, 1.39 ±0.29 and 3.8±0.17, respectively. The total bacterial counts were positive in 86.75 % of the samples. For the total viable counts, 100% of raw food samples were positive, while 65% of ready- to eat food samples was positive. The high incidence of total viable bacterial counts found in ready-to-eat samples (65%) was primarily due to the green salad samples included in ready-to-eat samples. All the food handler samples tested positive for total viable counts. High