Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control-Online Journal

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Investigation of Contamination of White Coats before and after Volume Cooking: Discussion about the Importance of Students Wearing Clean White Coats at a School for Dietitians/Nutritionists

Naoko NAKAGI¹⁾ and Eiji OHARA²⁾
¹⁾Department of Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Health Science, Kyoto Koka Women's University, ²⁾Department of Health and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Otemae University

The primary objective of any food service is to provide its beneficiaries with healthy and hearty meals. To this end, meals should primarily be hygienic and safe. Microorganisms such as viruses that cause food poisoning are transferred into cooking facilities via food materials or the skin, clothes, and footwear of cooking staff and tableware. Considering facility hygiene, no reports have focused on the contamination of white coats (cooking jackets). Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of contamination of white coats before and after volume cooking (≥100 meals at a time) to explore the possibility of food poisoning transmitted via white coats worn by students at a school for dietitians/nutritionists. The swab and stamp methods were employed for the investigation, targeting the cuffs and pocket openings of the coats. After volume cooking, contamination was confirmed on the cuffs, suggesting the possibility of general bacterial contamination. As part of hygiene education, it is essential to teach students the importance of wearing clean white coats.

Key words：white coats, volume cooking, hygiene education, ATP + ADP + AMP swab tests, stamp methods

e-mail: n-yokota＠mail.koka.ac.jp

Received: January 21, 2019
Accepted: May 10, 2019

34 (4)：234─236,2019