Evaluation of Fast-Food and Prepared Food Contamination with Health

Journal of Communicable Diseases Volume 50, Issue 4 - 2018, Pg. No. 14-19 Peer Reviewed & Open Access Journal Research Article Evaluation of Fast-food and Prepared Food Contamination with Health Pests Rouhullah Dehghani1, Esmaeil Charkhloo2, Mona Ramezani3, Hosein Salehi4, Behrooz Jannat5, Seyedmahdi Takhtfiroozeh6 1,3,4,6Social Determinants of Health (SDH) Research Center and Department of Environment Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR Iran. 2Environmental Health, Jiroft University of medical sciences, Kerman, IR Iran. 5Halal Research Center of IRI, FDA, Tehran, Iran. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.201824

Abstract Background: Biologic and pathogenic contamination of food is the most important cause of illness and death in developing countries. Providing food security during the food preparation for restaurants and self- services is very important. The aim of this study was to determine level of prepared food contamination with egg, larvae and adult insects, or other health pests. Methods: In a period of 3 years, samples of food (26) suspected to be contaminated with biological agents related to various restaurants and universities’ self-services and were investigated. Organs or larval stages of insects were isolated and were later cleaned using water. The samples were identified using a stereo microscope. The results were compared using images and tables. Results: Contaminated food and fast food including kabab koobideh and celery stew respectively accounted for highest (19%) and lowest (1 case) contamination rate in the present study. The contamination rate of the other studied foods was as follow: Rice and raw milk each respectively 15.5%, Kale pache and soup each 11.5%, Ghorme sabzi, khorest-e-gheyme and hamburger each with 7.7%. Conclusion: Supply of primary healthy food sources and securing food safety during preparation as well as complete and accurate maintenance of food up to the consumption phase are among the most important measures to be considered to prevent food contamination with insect larvae. Keywords: Contamination, Food, Fast food, Insects, Larvae, Nymph

Introduction eating arthropods, some of which are important pests of agricultural products, can help to reduce famine and its Today, thousands of people in African countries are dying complications.1-3 Over 250 insect species have been used and embarking on dangerous migrations due to famine. in food in many countries with butterflies that accounts The rapid increase in human population sets the alarm for more than 70% and grasshoppers, wing framed of famine and poverty for other countries in the future. beetles, termites, leafhoppers, bees, Hemiptera, flies Some of entomologists, nutrition experts, sociologists and dragonflies in the next ranking.4, 5 Insects and their and others believe that the most logical way to meet the larvae in food are considered as food contamination that human food requirements, especially in poor countries leads to serious complaints from the part of consumers. is to use all the available food resources, including Food contamination by biological agents is one of the edible insects breeding. Extending eating habits and hygiene problems of developed and developing countries.6

Corresponding Author: Seyedmahdi Takhtfiroozeh, Social Determinants of Health (SDH) Research Center and Department of Environment Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, IR Iran. E-mail Id: [email protected] Orcid Id: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5853-3462 How to cite this article: Dehghani R, Charkhloo E, Ramezani M et al. Evaluation of Fast-food and Prepared Food Contamination with Health Pests. J Commun Dis 2018; 50(4): 14-19.

Diseases of food origin are growing and widespread health of university health centers is to improve the individuals’ problem.7 The World Health Organization’s shows the health status and one of the important health aspects is to incidence of foodborne diseases have a growing trend. eat healthy food without any contamination, the present The incidence of foodborne disease has been increased in study aimed to assess food contamination with eggs of different countries over the past two decades.6 Diseases larvae and adult insects. caused by the consumption of contaminated foods have Materials and Methods been reported to be 916 cases per 100000 people in Third World countries. Estimates indicate that approximately 76 This longitudinal cross-sectional study ( 3 year) examined million cases of food origin diseases occur in United States food samples (26 sample) suspected of being contaminated and out of this figure, 325,000 people are hospitalized with eggs, larvae and adult insects and other health pest in and 5,000 hospitals die. The intensity and frequency of the Laboratory of Entomology Department of Environmental foodborne disease in developing countries is food. The Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences for 3 years. World Health Organization (WHO) estimates indicate that Suspected food and fast foods including rice, khoresht-e- annual medical costs due to salmonellosis reach 1 billion gheymeh, khoresht-e-bademjan (eggplant stew), ghorme dollars.7-9 Fang and colleagues in a study one academic center sabzi, celery stew, kabab koobideh, joojeh kabab, baghali in Taiwan reported food contamination with Coliforms, polo (rice with broad beans), kale pache, soup, sausage Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Bacillus sandwiches were sampled. Cow’s milk was the only raw cereus.10 In a study, Soriano J et al. reported 7 to about 14% food sampled in this study. Food samples obtained from as the contamination rate of foods served in restaurants at suspected cases were washed using water. If the obtained the University of with Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia larva sample was dead, it was detected using a stereo coli and streptococcus, which was caused due to lack of microscope. Living samples such as fly larvae remained appropriate temperature during foods preparation phase in the carrier foods in laboratory conditions so that they as well as the long intervals between cooking and serving reached their final growth stage and were detected. Also, processes.11 Tavakoli H et al. in a study showed that kabab preparation, appearance, consumption place, detection koobideh and fish served in the educational and therapeutic procedure of suspicious food samples was investigated centers of the university were the most contaminated foods using questionnaires. Finally, the obtained data were in terms of the number of total bacteria and coliform.12 analyzed using images and tables. The results of another study showed that the overall average number of bacteria in kabab koobideh was higher Results than other foods in Tehran University self-services.13 Results of this study showed that studied suspected food Chemical elements and pesticides enter the food stuffs and fast food samples, including rice, khoresht-e-gheymeh, during the process of food production from planting to khoresht-e-bademjan (eggplant stew), ghorme sabzi, celery harvest time, and during storage and consumption and stew, kabab koobideh, joojeh kabab, baghali polo (rice with cooking processes.14-16 Mice are among other pests that broad beans), kale pache, soup, sausage sandwiches were may contaminate food sources at all production stages. sampled. Out of the 31 samples, only 26 food samples These animals are active in residential houses, warehouses, including rice, khoresht-e-gheymeh, ghorme sabzi, celery food factories, restaurants and hospitals.17 stew, kabab koobideh, kale pache, soup, sausage sandwiches Also, arthropods such as cockroaches enter the organic were considered as fast foods contaminated with the health matter as a food source and make it unhealthy and pests. 7 other foods were contaminated with hair or pieces inedible.18 Diptera like flies and some mosquitoes are more of plant tissue. Cow’s milk was contaminated with variety diverse in terms of activity and feeding in places where of health pests, including Hyalomma tick, leopard gecko arthropods live and use any nutrients and organic matter as lizard, housefly and culex mosquito (Table 1). Contaminated food supply. They also attack a number of human or animal food and fast food including kabab koobideh and celery and use the tissue or blood or pus as food that suitable for stew respectively accounted for highest (19%) and lowest laying their eggs. Thus, plant or animal mass provide organic (1 case) contamination rate in the present study. The food and moisture to larvae.19-22 Any food stuff of plant and contamination rate of the other studied foods was as follow: animal origin will be exposed insects attack if left uncovered Rice and raw milk each respectively 15.5%, kale pache and is used as a source of food and spawning.23,24 Given and soup each 11.5%, ghorme sabzi, khorest-e- gheyme that factories and academic and administrative centers and hamburger each with 7.7%. larvae and adult eggs of assign other departments the duty of preparing food for housefly and yellow jacket wasp respectively accounted their staffs and students and since they may not carefully for the highest and lowest contamination rates. Diptera monitor the food or fast food preparation process with and cockroaches accounted for about 54% and 15.5% and standards due to various reasons, there is always the of food contamination rate. Sausage sandwiches were risk of contamination of foods with eggs of larvae and adult contaminated with the larvae of the housefly and stable flies insects. Considering that one of the most important tasks (Figure 1 and 2). Spotted leopard gecko, an insect predator and arthropod were among other causes of contamination.

ISSN: 0019-5138 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.201824 Dehghani R et al. J. Commun. Dis. 2018; 50(4) 16

Table 1.Type of contamination and frequency it in terms of food consumption Common name Scientific name Case Total % Rice Rice weevil Sitophilus oryzae 4 5 15.5 Rice Moth Corcyra cephalonica 1 khoresht-e-gheimeh American cockroach Periplaneta americana 2 2 7.7 ghorme sabzi German cockroach Belatella germanica 2 2 7.7 kale pache Larvae Oestrus ovis 3 3 11.5 celery stew Yellow jacket Vespula germanica 1 1 3.9 kebab Egg, Larvae of house fly Musca domestica 5 5 19 Soup Adults of flies Musca domestica 2 3 11.5 Adult of mosquito Culex spp. 1 Pure milk Lizard Eublepharis angramainyu 1 4 15.5 Tick Hyalommina spp. 1 Mosquitoes Culex spp. 1 Adult of fly Musca domestica 1 Hamburger Stable Fly Stomoxys calcitrans 1 2 7.7 Larvae of house fly Musca domestica 1 26 100

elements, it will lead to consumer’s complaint. In this case, the food will be referred to the laboratory. Contaminated fast food and prepared foods in our study included rice, khoresht-e-gheymeh, khoresht-e-bademjan (eggplant stew), ghorme sabzi, celery stew, kabab koobideh, joojeh kabab, baghali polo (rice with broad beans), kale pache, soup, sausage sandwiches. Rice and kabab koobideh had the highest contamination rate. This high of contamination rate in the kabab koobideh can be explained by reasons such as contamination of raw materials, staff manipulation, unsuitable cooking and curing conditions, which causes insects, particularly flies lay eggs on them. On the other Figure 1.Sausage sandwich contamination to the larvae hand, the contaminated samples attract houseflies due to of housefly and stable fly its smell and taste a few hours after the initial cooking and cooling so that larvae eggs of hemiptera of a fly were easily visible on the kabab koobideh, the depth of which was insignificant. Previous studies have shown that koobideh highest had the highest contamination rate in terms of total count of bacteria, coliform and the presence of pathogenic bacteria.13, 25-27 Among foods prepared in restaurants and universities self-services, rice was one of the contaminated items. The rice weevil larvae cause contamination during storage and curing process is involved in this contamination. It seems that this kind of rice has been welcomed by food producers due to its low price. Rice weevil is considered 28,29 Figure 2.Sausage sandwich contamination to the larvae as a rice pest in the storage phase. of housefly and stable fly Cockroaches and parts of their bodies accounted for the Discussion highest contamination rate. All cockroaches probably entered the foods during cooking process due to Foods appearance is very important for consumers. All contaminated kitchens. Cockroaches are public health people, in addition to food taste, also care about its pests across the world.18 They are able to spread a large appearance to the extent that if it contains unusual visible

ISSN: 0019-5138 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.201824 Dehghani R et al. 17 J. Commun. Dis. 2018; 50(4) number of fungal and bacterial pathogens in the food or Vice Chancellor for Research and Technology Department environment; thus, they are important in terms of the of Kashan University of Medical Sciences. Hereby, the transmission of contamination.30-33 If the food is prepared authors appreciate the Vice Chancellor as well as health for hospital patients, its hygiene and lack any kind of care and laboratory workers. contamination will be more important.26 Kale pache is a Conflict of Interest: None popular food among most Iranians who believe in its public health aspects.34,35 Oestrus ovis larvae is the major pest References of sheep, which may be feed from the sheep nose for 2 1. Banjo A, Lawal O, Songonuga E. The nutritional value to 3 years and eventually leads the livestock to slaughter of fourteen species of edible insects in southwestern 36-39 due to its complications. 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ISSN: 0019-5138 DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.201824