Potential Cross-contamination Transfer Dynamics at Retail Deli Markets

Introduction: Ready-to-eat deli meat and poultry products are considered a food at high risk for causing foodborne illness. Cross-contamination in the retail deli may contribute to contamination of these products.

Purpose: Tracking potential cross contamination pathways is essential to reducing the risk of contaminating these products. This study tracked cross contamination through a retail deli using an abiotic surrogate, GloGerm^TM, to visually represent how pathogens may spread through the deli environment via direct contact on food contact surfaces.

Methods: The study examined six origination sites (i.e., slicer blade, meat chub, floor drain, preparation table, employee’s glove, employee’s hands) separately, where contamination may be introduced into the deli. Each site was inoculated with 20 mL of GloGerm^TMand a series of standard deli operations were completed (approximately 10 minutes of work). Photographs were taken to visualize spread of the contaminant throughout the deli. A sensory panel was used to evaluate the levels of contamination coverage and intensity on contaminated surfaces.  

Results: Five of the six originating contaminated sites consistently spread contamination to the deli case door handle, slicer blade, meat chub, preparation table and the employee’s gloves. Additional locations saw occasional contamination spread (i.e., deli case shelf, prep table sink, and glove box) but not consistently across all trials. There  was no contamination spread from the floor drain to any food contact surfaces.

Significance: The findings of this study reinforce the need for consistent equipment cleaning and food safety practices among deli workers in order to minimize cross contamination.