P3-30 Minimization of Cross-contamination of Gloves Used in Food Handling Applications through Surface Texturing and Functionalization

Wednesday, August 3, 2016
America's Center - St. Louis
Jun Kyun Oh, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Yagmur Yegin, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
William Rapisand, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Ming Zhang, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Alejandro Castillo, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Mustafa Akbulut, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Introduction: The use of superhydrophobically modified food-safe gloves in food industry is a very promising application for preventing bacterial attachment and transfer of pathogens from one surface to another surface.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to coat the surfaces of common food-safe gloves with fluorinated silica nanoparticle (FSN) to make superhydrophobic surfaces and prevent the bacterial attachment.

Methods: Latex, nitrile, and polyethylene gloves were coated with FSN by simple one-step dip coating deposition method. The wetting characteristics of glove surfaces were determined by the measurement of static water contact angles. FSN-coated and bare gloves were dip-inoculated for 1 h and 24 h with Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Staphylococcus aureus at bacterial concentrations of 8.6 to 9.0 log CFU/ml. Bacterial attachment to superhydrophobically modified food-safe gloves was compared with bare gloves. Plate count method and direct counting via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis were used for counting attached bacteria on glove surfaces.

Results: FSN-coated latex, nitrile, and polyethylene gloves showed superhydrophobic (Θ>160°) properties based on the static water contact angle measurements. FSN-coated latex, nitrile, and polyethylene gloves were tested against Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Staphylococcus aureus, and showed significantly lower (1-2 log CFU/ml) bacterial populations than bare gloves, via plate counting (P<0.05). SEM images demonstrated that the attachment of both bacteria to FSN-coated glove surfaces were significantly lower than bare glove surfaces (P<0.05).

Significance: Surface properties of food-safe gloves can be modified from hydrophilic to hydrophobic by coating with fluorinated silica nanoparticles. Coated gloves showed excellent antiadhesion properties by preventing the attachment of both Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Staphylococcus aureus. The coating technique used in this study can also be used in the hygienic design of food-contact surfaces.