BACTERIAL RECOVERY, TRANSFER TO HANDS AND SURVIVAL ON RESTAURANT MENUS

Some non-food contact surfaces such as restaurant menus are not routinely cleaned or evaluated for microbial contamination and thus may be a potential contamination risk. The main objectives of this study were to detect bacteria on restaurant menus, test the rate of bacteria transfer from menus to consumers and determine the survival rate of bacteria on the menu surface. Evaluation of samples can \u27find\u27 that menus harbored detectable levels of aerobic organisms and Staphylococcus spp. The average mean of Total Plate count (TPC) was 28 CFU/15cm2 per sampling area during busy periods and 15 CFU/15cm2 per sampling area during less busy periods. The Staphylococcus count had an average mean of 6 CFU/15cm2 per sampling area during busy periods and 2 CFU/15cm2 per sampling area during less busy periods. The interaction between the restaurant and traffic periods in regards with Staphylococcus spp. was significantly different (P= 0.0212) at a P-value of Keywords: Restaurant menu, cleanliness, food safety, food microbiology