Removal of Human Pathogens from Surfaces Using a Novel Microfiber Towel

Introduction: Food safety continues to be of the highest importance to public health. Even though consumption in restaurants continues to grow in the United States, with one half of total food expenses in 2013 spent on food away from home, foodborne illnesses linked to restaurant contamination continue to be high. In foodservice, surfaces can easily become contaminated with human pathogens from raw foods or food handlers. Effective cleaning of food contact and dining surfaces is essential to prevent contamination. Novel microfiber single use cleaning towels are available in the marketplace for use in foodservice. However, their efficacy in removal of human pathogens is not known.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a novel microfiber towel in removing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. from foodservice surfaces.

Methods: A total of 80 trials were completed to test removal rates of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium from stainless steel and acrylic surfaces with one-use dry microfiber towel. After spot inoculation of surfaces, the removal rates from wet and dried contamination surfaces were measured. Each test was repeated 10 times. Pathogen concentrations were calculated and data was analyzed in SPSS.

Results: The microfiber towel removed pathogens from stainless steel (54±15%) and acrylic (52±17%, P>0.05) with similar efficacy. The removal rate from dry surfaces was lower (48±18%) than when the surface was wet (58±10%, P<0.05). Overall, the log CFU reduction was greater per wipe for Salmonella Typhimurium (4.6±0.9 log CFU) than it was for E. coli O157(4.0±1.2 log CFU, P<0.05).

Significance: Novel microfiber towels may be an effective intervention to prevent cross-contamination of human pathogens in foodservice. The findings of this study can be used by the industry to assess the efficacy of sanitation practices and develop effective management procedures for foodservice.