Kitchen hygiene study yields surprising results

Your home kitchen could be more unhygienic than you realise.
 
A recent study of 25 Singapore households found that 88 per cent of home kitchens contained the Salmonella and E. coli bacteria, which could cause food poisoning, diarrhoea and other infections.
 
This was after 92 per cent of households surveyed said they believed their kitchens were clean enough to prevent food poisoning.
 
The Finish/Bosch Kitchen Hygiene Study was conducted by biomedial research firm BRASS over two weeks in September and the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.
 
Dr Emily Cheah, general manager and senior scientific consultant for BRASS, admitted the sample size of 25 homes is a small number and not enough to make a general conclusion about the whole of Singapore. She said, however, that the main goal of the study was to raise awareness on good household hygiene practices among Singaporeans.
 
The 25 randomly-selected households were surveyed on their kitchen hygiene habits and provided with new sponges and chopping boards to use for seven days.
 
After seven days, these items were collected for microbiological assessment to test for E. coli, Salmonella and other bacteria. A randomly-washed dish from each household was also collected for the study.
 
Findings showed that dishwashing sponges and kitchen towels are the prime breeding grounds for bacteria, especially when used for purposes other than washing and drying utensils and cutlery. This includes wiping tables and cleaning stoves.
 
Still, only two in 10 participants said they change their kitchen sponge at least once every two weeks and six in 10 change their kitchen towels after using it for more than a month, the survey found.
 
The study also highlighted that 44 per cent of participants did not wash their hands at all times after handling raw meat.
 
“The Finish/Bosh Kitchen Hygiene Study highlights significant gaps in Singaporeans’ perceptions of hygiene versus the reality of the presence of harmful bacteria in their kitchens,” said Dr Wong Sin Yew, an infectious disease physician in private practice.
 
“It is important for families to practice good kitchen hygiene habits to prevent the spread of ailments such as food poisoning, especially since an estimated 50 to 80 per cent of food-borne illnesses originate at home,” he added, noting that education will help families develop good habits to prevent such illnesses.
 
“I’m sure we are aware that although our practice of food hygiene isn’t optimal, not all of us fall sick. We do get exposed to bacteria, and most of the time our immune system does handle it, but we really shouldn’t push our luck. We should practice good habits to reduce the risk,” noted Dr Wong.
 
Although the use of hot water is necessary in killing bacteria, none of the households used hot water to wash their dishes or utensils. Another 72 per cent use the same kitchen sponge to wash their dishes, utensils and other surfaces such as sinks, counter tops, cutting boards and stoves, all of which could result in cross-contamination, a common cause for food-borne illnesses.
 
The study recommends these steps to minimise the risk of food-borne illnesses:
 
1)      Wash your hands frequently during the food preparation process
2)      Sterilise your dish sponge with hot water and dry after every use
3)      Change and sanitise your kitchen towels frequently
4)      Use different chopping boards for raw, cooked and ready-to-eat food
5)      Eliminate harmful germs with a dishwasher