Lai Honggang, Tang Yuanyue, Ren Fangzhe, Jiao Xin-An, Huang Jinlin
School of Tourism and Cuisine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China.
Jiangsu Key Lab of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Foods. 2023 Aug 29;12(17):3245. doi: 10.3390/foods12173245.
Cutting boards can serve as potential carriers for the cross-contamination of pathogens from chicken to other surfaces. This study aimed to assess chefs' handling practices of cutting boards across five provinces in China and identify the key factors contributing to unsafe cutting board usage, including cleaning methods and handling practices. Handling practices associated with cutting boards were examined through a web-based survey (N = 154), while kitchen environment tests were conducted to investigate the splashing or survival of , inoculated in chicken or on cutting boards, to mimic the practices of chefs. Among chefs in the five provinces of China, wood and plastic cutting boards were the most commonly used for preparing chicken meat. Approximately 33.7% of chefs washed boards with running tap water, 31.17% of chefs washed boards with detergent, and 24.03% of chefs cleaned boards by scraping them with a knife after preparing other meats or chicken. The study tested 23 cutting boards from commercial kitchens for presence before and after chicken preparation and cleaning. Among these, 17 were cleaned with a knife, 5 with running tap water, and only 1 with disinfectant. Results showed that cleaning with a knife significantly reduced presence on cutting boards ( < 0.05), while the three main cleaning methods were inadequate in eliminating contamination to a safe level. In kitchen environment tests, contaminated chicken was chopped on cutting boards, with a maximum distance of 60 cm for low contamination, and 120 cm for medium and high contamination levels. This suggested a contamination risk exposure area ranging from 60 cm to 120 cm. survival on surfaces of wood, plastic, and stainless steel was also tested, with plastic surfaces showing the longest survival time (4.5 h at 15 °C and 3.5 h at 25 °C) In comparison, survival time on stainless steel or wood surfaces was only 3 h, implying a cross-contamination risk exposure period of 3 to 4.5 h after chicken preparation. In conclusion, based on the current study data, the practices employed by chefs play an important role in transfer in the kitchen environment. The presence of on cutting boards even after wiping or droplet splashing highlights its potential as a source of cross-contamination in the kitchen environment. So, chefs in China should reinforce their hygiene culture and adopt effective cutting board cleaning practices to prevent pathogen contamination.
砧板可能成为病原体从鸡肉交叉污染到其他表面的潜在载体。本研究旨在评估中国五个省份厨师对砧板的处理方式，并确定导致不安全使用砧板的关键因素，包括清洁方法和处理方式。通过一项基于网络的调查（N = 154）研究了与砧板相关的处理方式，同时进行厨房环境测试，以调查接种在鸡肉或砧板上的[病原体名称未给出]的飞溅或存活情况，以模拟厨师的操作。在中国五个省份的厨师中，木质和塑料砧板是最常用于处理鸡肉的。约33.7%的厨师用自来水冲洗砧板，31.17%的厨师用洗涤剂清洗砧板，24.03%的厨师在处理其他肉类或鸡肉后用刀刮擦来清洁砧板。该研究测试了商业厨房中23个砧板在处理鸡肉前后及清洁后的[病原体名称未给出]存在情况。其中，17个用刀清洁，5个用自来水冲洗，只有1个用消毒剂清洁。结果表明，用刀清洁能显著降低砧板上的[病原体名称未给出]存在量（P < 0.05），而这三种主要清洁方法在将污染消除到安全水平方面并不充分。在厨房环境测试中，在砧板上切碎受污染的鸡肉，低污染情况下最大飞溅距离为60厘米，中高污染水平下为120厘米。这表明污染风险暴露区域在60厘米至120厘米之间。还测试了[病原体名称未给出]在木质、塑料和不锈钢表面的存活情况，塑料表面显示存活时间最长（15℃时为4.5小时，25℃时为3.5小时）。相比之下，在不锈钢或木质表面的存活时间仅为3小时，这意味着处理鸡肉后交叉污染风险暴露期为3至4.5小时。总之，根据当前研究数据，厨师的操作在厨房环境中的[病原体名称未给出]传播中起着重要作用。即使在擦拭或液滴飞溅后砧板上仍存在[病原体名称未给出]，这凸显了其在厨房环境中作为交叉污染源的潜力。因此，中国厨师应加强其卫生文化并采用有效的砧板清洁做法以防止病原体污染。
