European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

THE STUDY OF BACTERIA OCCURRENCE IN KITCHEN UTENSILS USED IN RESTAURANTS IN GODFREY OKOYE UNIVERSITY

Chioma Nwakanma* and Chidobi C. C.

ABSTRACT

The common occurrence of bacteria in the kitchen utensils suggests that they can play a role in the cross-contamination of foods. This study investigated the occurrence of bacteria in kitchen utensils often used in restaurants in Godfrey Okoye University. A total of 24 kitchen utensils including spoons, plates, etc, were collected from four major restaurants in Godfrey Okoye University. Streaking method was used to innoculate the samples gotten from different restaurants, Gram staining and Biochemical test was carried out to identify the particular microorganisms present in the kitchen utensils. From the results, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, Bacillus species and Shigella species were found to be present in the kitchen utensils. Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus species showed the highest occurrence with prevalence values of 29.5% and 29.2% respectively and Streptococcus pneumoniae occurred less with prevalence of 6.6%. Therefore there is urgent need for improvement in the hygienic conditions of restaurants to reduce food poisoning this can be achieved through proper washing, drying, storing and sterilization of kitchen utensils.

Keywords: Micro-organism, kitchen utensils, sterilization, hygiene, World Health Organization.