Food Safety in the domestic environment: kitchen hygiene

Foodbome diseases are widely accepted as one of the major public health concerns for all cOlUltries. According to the results of various studies, the domestic sector needs to be a key element in the reduction of foodbome illness as a significant proportion of these diseasescases arises from poor food handling and hygiene practices in the domestic envirornnent. The objective of this preliminary study was to obtain an indication of the level of hygiene of Portuguese kitchens. 10 domestic kitchens were characterized based on the presence of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterobacteriaceae in 16 different sampling points and ofListeria sp. in refrigerators and on the administration of a small questionnaire to the person responsible for the house cleaning and cooking about food safety and hygiene practices. Although based on a small number of homes, this study demonstrated that various points in the kitchen harbourharbor pathogenic organisms, thus being a possible source of food poisoning, for example through cross-contamination