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Typically, when someone falls ill after eating at a
restaurant they automatically assume they have come down with a case of food
poisoning. However, a study published in the Journal of Food Safety this year
shows that the culprit may not be so obvious. Menus from 18 different
restaurants were sampled at slow and peak business hours for bacterial counts. A
total of 216 menus were sampled. Average plate counts found 28 cfu/15 cm^2
during busy hours and 15 cfu/15cm^2 during less busy hours. Bacterial counts
ranged from 0-210 cfu/15 cm^2. Among the bacteria found on menus were
Escherichia
coli and
Staphylococcus aureus, which can be pathogenic.
Additionally, this study showed that bacteria found on menus were capable of
surviving on laminated surfaces up to 48 hours. Perhaps one of the most
alarming findings in this study was that the bacteria on menu surfaces were
transferable to consumer's hands. These findings bring to light a new potential
health risk that’s commonly overlooked.
Alsallaiy, I., Dawson,
P., Han, I., & Martinez‐Dawson, R. (2015). Recovery, Survival and
Transfer of Bacteria on Restaurant Menus. Journal of Food Safety. doi: 10.1111/jfs.12212
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