Nafiseh Sarabi Mohajer; Maryam Sarkhosh; Ali Asghar Najafpoor; Hossain Alidadi; Sima Baridkazemi
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Consumers often think that food is safe whenstored in refrigerators at 4°C. However, food can still spoil and causefoodborne illness, which is one of the most important health challenges.The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating bacterial andfungal contamination ...
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Background and Purpose: Consumers often think that food is safe whenstored in refrigerators at 4°C. However, food can still spoil and causefoodborne illness, which is one of the most important health challenges.The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating bacterial andfungal contamination in domestic refrigerators.Materials and Methods: In this study, 30 domestic refrigerators wereexamined. First, microbial plates including blood agar and Saburo were placedon the refrigerator shelves for one hour. Then the bacterial cultures wereincubated for 48 hours at 36°C and the fungal cultures were incubated for 5days at 28°C and the colonies were counted. Finally, in order to check the levelof contamination of the refrigerator surfaces, treated samples were preparedfrom the surface of the refrigerator shelves using moist sterile swabs.Results: Based on the results, 100% bacterial contamination and 58% fungalcontamination were observed in the air of household refrigerators, and theamount of bacterial and fungal contamination on the surface of domesticrefrigerators was 4.7-8.9 and 3.6-7.2 (log CFU/cm2) respectivelyConclusion: As seen in this study, bacteria enter food through unwashedhands, raw foods, leaking packaging, unwashed shelves, refrigerator surfaces,and long-term storage of food in the refrigerator. Therefore, if refrigeratorsare not maintained properly, they become a place for the growth ofmicroorganisms and directly and indirectly contaminate the refrigerator andfood and make people sick