Domestic chopping boards represent important vehicles of microbial food contamination and human pathogens Sandhya Devi Takooree, Usha Devi Motah, Devina Lobine, Vijayant

Abstract

Chopping boards may harbor pathogenic microorganisms that cross-contaminate food products leading to food-borne illnesses. The present study aimed at comparing the microbial diversity of plastic, glass and wooden chopping boards. Microorganisms were recovered from chopping boards by swabbing and enumerated for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, Listeria spp., Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella spp. and yeasts and molds. In addition, fungi recovered were identified by sequencing their ribosomal sequences, and phylogenetic analyses. E. coli was undetectable by the plating method on wooden chopping boards but was isolated from glass and plastic. The mean population density of Salmonella spp., Listeria spp. and C. perfringens recovered from plastic chopping boards was 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5 log cfu/cm2 respectively. Lastly, the population density of yeasts and molds was found to be higher on wooden boards (3.0 log cfu/cm2 ) compared to their plastic counterparts (2.2 log cfu/cm2). The isolated fungi were identified as Penicillium citrinum, Peyronellaea glomerata and Cladosporium halotolerans. To the best of our knowledge, this study is one of the few which has compared the microbiological status and diversity of different types of chopping boards, highlighting their cross-contamination potential.