Vol 70, No 1 (2019)
Original article
Published online: 2019-03-28
Food safety on board tankers. Results of analysis from ‘Healthy Ship’ project
Abstract
Background: Microbiological monitoring of surfaces used for food preparation, as required by the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan, is important in risky conditions as those observed in the kitchens of ships. Limits to introduce a classification of risk levels and methods to adopt in conditions as those occurring in tankers have not been investigated. This paper presents the results of the “Healthy Ship” project on HACCP monitoring of surfaces used in food preparation on Italian flag tankers.
Materials and methods: Microbiological monitoring was carried out on 19 tankers between 2013 and 2017. Food handlers were also trained on board ship according to HACCP standards. Contact plates (ISO 18593:2004 compliant) were used to determine the colonies and bacterial charge according to the Wirtanen and Salo’s method.
Results: A total of 1074 samples, 108 before the first course, 168 after the first course, 390 during the period of refresher (2015–2016), and 408 after the refresher training, were obtained from the three main kitchen surfaces: the worktop, cutting board, and kitchen sink. A good level of hygiene was observed in 56.9% of all samples, 0.1% were classified as adequate, and the remaining 43% as poor. The highest contamination was observed on the cutting board and kitchen sink and involved the total aerobic count. The only surface with inadequate levels of hygiene was the worktop. A reduction of contaminated samples was noted after training.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that continuous training should be provided for personnel responsible for handling foodstuffs on board ships.
Keywords: microbiological surveillancefood-handlingseafarersHACCPfood hygienefood safety
References
- Osimani A, Garofalo C, Clementi F, et al. Bioluminescence ATP monitoring for the routine assessment of food contact surface cleanliness in a university canteen. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014; 11(10): 10824–10837.
- Cabezas-Pizarro J, Redondo-Solano M, Umaña-Gamboa C, et al. Antimicrobial activity of different sodium and potassium salts of carboxylic acid against some common foodborne pathogens and spoilage-associated bacteria. Rev Argent Microbiol. 2018; 50(1): 56–61.
- Marchetti F, Palmucci J, Pettinari C, et al. Preparation of Polyethylene Composites Containing Silver(I) Acylpyrazolonato Additives and SAR Investigation of their Antibacterial Activity. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2016; 8(43): 29676–29687.
- Marchetti F, Palmucci J, Pettinari C, et al. Linkage Isomerism in Silver Acylpyrazolonato Complexes and Correlation with Their Antibacterial Activity. Inorg Chem. 2016; 55(11): 5453–5466.
- World Health Organization (WHO). WHO Estimates of the Global Burden of Foodborne diseases. 2015. Available on:. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/foodborne-diseases/ferg/en/ (Last accessed: 2018, June 14).
- Grappasonni I, Petrelli F, Amenta F. Deaths on board ships assisted by the Centro Internazionale Radio Medico in the last 25 years. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2012; 10(4): 186–191.
- Siracusa M, Petrelli F. [Trade of food supplement: food or drug supplement?]. Recenti Prog Med. 2016; 107(9): 465–471.
- Cuccioloni M, Bonfili L, Mozzicafreddo M, et al. Mangiferin blocks proliferation and induces apoptosis of breast cancer cells via suppression of the mevalonate pathway and by proteasome inhibition. Food Funct. 2016; 7(10): 4299–4309.
- Pavli A, Maltezou HC, Papadakis A, et al. Respiratory infections and gastrointestinal illness on a cruise ship: A three-year prospective study. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2016; 14(4): 389–397.
- Grappasonni I, Paci P, Mazzucchi F, et al. Awareness of health risks at the workplace and of risks of contracting communicable diseases including those related to food hygiene, among seafarers. Int Marit Health. 2012; 63(1): 24–31.
- Grappasonni I, Marconi D, Mazzucchi F, et al. Survey on food hygiene knowledge on board ships. Int Marit Health. 2013; 64(3): 160–167.
- Grappasonni I, Petrelli F, Scuri S, et al. Knowledge and Attitudes on Food Hygiene among Food Services Staff on Board Ships. Ann Ig. 2018; 30(2): 162–172.
- Grappasonni I, Cocchioni M, Degli Angioli R, et al. Recommendations for assessing water quality and safety on board merchant ships. Int Marit Health. 2013; 64(3): 154–159.
- Siracusa M, Grappasonni I, Petrelli F. The pharmaceutical care and the rejected constitutional reform: what might have been and what is. Acta Biomed. 2017; 88(3): 352–359.
- Signorelli C, Odone A, Gozzini A, et al. The missed Constitutional Reform and its possible impact on the sustainability of the Italian National Health Service. Acta Biomed. 2017; 88(1): 91–94.
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations World Health Organization (FAO-WHO). Exposure assessment of microbiological hazards in food. Guidelines, 2008 (Microbiological Risk Assessment Series; 7). Available on:. http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0251e/a0251e00.htm (Last accessed: 2018, June 14).
- Wirtanen G, Salo S. Microbial limits used for various types of food process surfaces based on case study evaluations. J Hygienic Engin Design. 2012; 1: 57–61.
- International Labour Office (ILO). Guidelines on the training of ships’ cooks. 2014: Geneva.
- Mahdi SS, Amenta F. Eighty years of CIRM. A journey of commitment and dedication in providing maritime medical assistance. Int Marit Health. 2016; 67(4): 187–195.
- International Standards Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs Horizontal methods for sampling techniques from surfaces using contact plates and swabs (ISO 1. 8593; 2004.
- Technical schedule of Biolife italiana s.r.l. n°498010V B1-4. ; 04: 2004.
- Addinsoft SA. XLstat 2006. Loading Data Analysis and Statistical Solution for Microsoft Excel. Addinsoft SRL. 2006.
- Capunzo M, Cavallo P, Boccia G, et al. Food hygiene on merchant ships: the importance of food handlers' training. Food Control. 2005; 16(2): 183–188.
- Cushnie T, Lamb A. Antimicrobial activity of flavonoids. Int J Antimicrobial Agents. 2005; 26(5): 343–356.
- Soon JM, Baines R, Seaman P. Meta-analysis of food safety training on hand hygiene knowledge and attitudes among food handlers. J Food Prot. 2012; 75(4): 793–804.
- ILSI Europe Risk Analysis in Microbiology Task Force. Available on:. http://ilsi.eu/task-forces/food-safety/microbiological-food-safety (Last accessed: 2018, June 14).
- Satin M. Food alert!: the ultimate sourcebook for food safety. 2th ed. New York: Facts On File, Inc. Infobase Publishing. 2008.
- Ilkan Ali Olgunoglu. Determination of Microbiological Contamination Sources of Blue Crabmeat (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) During Pasteurization Process. Pakistan J Zool. 2010; 42(5): 545–550.
- Khangholi M, Jamalli A. The effects of sugars on the biofilm formation of on stainless steel and polyethylene terephthalate surfaces in a laboratory model. Jundishapur J Microbiol. 2016; 9(9): e40137.
- Beloin C, Roux A, Ghigo JM. Escherichia coli biofilms. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol. 2008; 322: 249–289.
- Soares-Santos V, Barreto AS, Semedo-Lemsaddek T. Characterization of Enterococci from Food and Food-Related Settings. J Food Prot. 2015; 78(7): 1320–1326.
- Adams RI, Miletto M, Taylor JW, et al. The diversity and distribution of fungi on residential surfaces. PLoS One. 2013; 8(11): e78866.
- Tozzo K, Neto AFG, Spercoski KM, et al. Migration of Salmonella serotypes Heidelberg and Enteritidis in previously frozen chicken breast meat. Food Microbiol. 2018; 69: 204–211.
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Leftovers and Food Safety. 2013. Available on: tovers-and-food-safety [Last accessed: 2018, June. https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/safe-food-handling/leftovers-and-food-safety (Last accessed: 2018, June 14).
- Pérez-Rodríguez F, Valero A, Carrasco E, et al. Understanding and modelling bacterial transfer to foods: a review. Trends in Food Science & Technology. 2008; 19(3): 131–144.
- Pérez-Rodríguez F, Valero A, Todd ECD, et al. Modeling transfer of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus during slicing of a cooked meat product. Meat Sci. 2007; 76(4): 692–699.
- Ravishankar S, Zhu L, Jaroni D. Assessing the cross contamination and transfer rates of Salmonella enterica from chicken to lettuce under different food-handling scenarios. Food Microbiol. 2010; 27(6): 791–794.
- World Health Organization (WHO). Foodborne disease outbreaks: Guidelines for Investigation and Control. France. 2008. Available on: . http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/43771/9789241547222_eng.pdf?sequence=1 (Last accessed: 2018, June 14).
- Brunetti L, De Caro F, Boccia G, et al. Surveillance of nosocomial infections: a preliminary study on yeast carriage on hands of healthcare workers. J Prev Med Hyg. 2008; 49(2): 63–68.
- Martarelli D, Cocchioni M, Scuri S, et al. Cold exposure increases exercise-induced oxidative stress. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2011; 51(2): 299–304.
- Martarelli D, Cocchioni M, Scuri S, et al. Diaphragmatic breathing reduces postprandial oxidative stress. J Altern Complement Med. 2011; 17(7): 623–628.
- Peretti A, Amenta F, Tayebati SK, et al. Telerehabilitation: review of the state-of-the-art and areas of application. JMIR Rehabil Assist Technol. 2017; 4(2): e7.
