Every Kitchen's Dirty Little Secret: Cardboard—Bacteria Superstore
Guest Commentary
Ken Krall Every Kitchen’s Dirty Little Secret: Cardboard—Bacteria Superstore and Roach Motel
ntroduction gram (CFU/g). That number is 27 times the temperatures, it is a prime breeding ground Great strides have been made with amount of general bacteria and filth neces- for bacteria growth. If pathogens are present I time, temperature, and basic food-han- sary to start food spoilage. in raw or undercooked meat juice and so dling practices. It is encouraging to see Examples of daily cardboard usage in most forth, and absorbed into cardboard, their momentum growing and awareness broaden- commercial kitchen food preparation areas growth is virtually guaranteed. ing in the food service industry. This improve- include In fact, in less than 24 hours, the various ment is a tribute to the efforts and dedication • cutter boxes for plastic film and aluminum bacteria tested underwent a dense and vigor- of environmental health and food safety pro- foil, ous growth. Any food service employee fessionals. Through effective food safety train- • pop-up dispensers for foil and wax sheets, knows that the plastic film and foil boxes are ing, methods of cross-contamination are • food service food-handling-glove boxes, carried by hand from work table to cutting revealed and overcome, one layer at a time. • parchment paper boxes, and board to shelf—or wherever—all day long, Each new layer will expose the more detailed • produce and meat boxes. over and over again. “back alleys” of commercial kitchens. Perhaps one of the most overlooked of Most-Overlooked Vehicle for Method of Cross-Contamination these back alleys for cross-contamination Contamination The following is a realistic scenario for an and general filth is cardboard. Without ques- Probably one of the most overlooked vehi- average day in a food service operation. tion, the cardboard crates for produce are cles for cross-contamination is the cardboard Lacking an assigned space in any kitchen, traveling interstate roach motels. Cardboard cutter box for plastic film and aluminum foil. the box usually starts its day where it was left boxes, with diminished light, moisture, and a The boxes, found in virtually every retail the night before, on the prep table. The chef food source, are an excellent breeding food establishment, are nothing more than has a bucket with a stack of cardboard egg ground for cockroaches—and next best shipping containers with a blade attached. crates on the table. The cracking of 20 dozen homes for cockroaches are the kitchens to The cutter box is used as a piece of equip- eggs begins. The fast pace of this action which the boxes are delivered. With a micro- ment on food contact surfaces. In a normal inevitably creates splash and running of raw scope, it has been revealed that cardboard is day, the box may be splashed with raw egg; egg onto the table. Next to the chef, the prep also an excellent host to nearly all of the juices from chicken, fish, and other meat; cook has just sliced open the breakfast ham pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses. A sanitation chemicals; and virtually any mois- for steaks, and its juices are oozing onto the recent laboratory study (Marin Biologic & ture found on and around cutting boards and table. The plastic film is conveniently placed Weiss, 1998) confirmed that E. coli, work surfaces. Cardboard is absorbent and next to the cutting board so that the ham Salmonella, Listeria, and Shigella grow and cannot be washed. Recognizing these card- steaks can be wrapped. Next the prep cook flourish in cardboard under normal kitchen board cutter boxes as a piece of equipment grabs the cutter box with bare hands and environment conditions. A separate study used on food contact surfaces makes them a places it on a shelf below the table to make (Food Development Centre & McRae, 1997) direct violation of Chapter 4 and Annex 3 of room to butcher a case of chicken breasts. Is tested random samples of cardboard film the Food Code (Food and Drug that shelf sanitary? Is that case of chicken and foil cutter boxes taken directly from use Administration [FDA], 2001a, 2001b). breasts made of cardboard and filled with in commercial kitchens. This study revealed Cardboard is a high-carbon medium. When melting, bloody ice? The butchering, por- up to 27 million colony-forming units per combined with moisture at normal kitchen tioning, and pounding of the case of chicken
24 Volume 65 • Number 7 TABLE 1
Microbiological Standard Plate Count of General Bacteria Found on Dry Cardboard
Client Identification Number FDC Sample Number SPC (CFU/g)*
Item #1 971156 94,000 Item #2 971157 350,000 Item #3 971158 7,400 Item #5 971159 27,000,000 ______*CFU/g = colony forming units per gram of sample. Note: Samples were taken from five randomly selected food service operations. The condition in which the samples were received was dry and sealed. SPC method SOPMICR104 was used. Reference: Health Protection Branch Method FHPB 8. An image provided by Marin Biologic of Tiburon, California, shows that E. coli bacteria grow and flourish in the cardboard cutter boxes breasts is completed. Now the cutter box is deteriorated fiber. Keep in mind that some of used to dispense plastic film and aluminum foil under normal kitchen environment conditions. picked up by hand from the shelf and placed these boxes are used for weeks at a time back on the work table. One can assume that before the roll inside is used up. These boxes this table has a nice raw chicken juice layer are, however, a violation from the moment Indeed, film, foil, and wax paper all are ready to absorb into the cardboard. The prep they are put into use. The older the box is, used in direct contact with raw and cooked cook then individually wraps the breasts as the more deterioration occurs. You will find foods for storage and cooking uses. Their part of portion control procedures. The chef decaying cardboard and holes. Where do the respective dispensing devices must provide a has prepared two pans of lasagna for a dinner dirty cardboard fragments go? The cardboard sanitary environment. Fortunately, plastic special. The pans are on another prep table. exfoliates onto cutting boards, work tables, dispensers are available to replace the card The chef asks the dishwasher to bring the bare hands and food. Let’s not forget that board cutter boxes. It should be noted that plastic film to the table so that the pans can cardboard is produced with chemicals such not all of them are NSF approved. Still, NSF- be wrapped for refrigeration. The dishwash as bleach and dyes. approved film and foil dispensers that work er grabs the box with his hands and places it Cardboard is an obvious physical hazard very well and cost less than $50 are readily on the table and goes back to sorting the sil in a food preparation area. Plastic film and available. They may be found at many restau verware. Next the chef puts down a cutting foil may also be found in dental offices, tat- rant supply companies and food service dis board on which to filet a salmon. Is the cut- too shops, and laboratories. tributors. The Internet is also a good source ter box moved away? No, it will be needed in for such products. a few minutes to wrap the individual salmon Public-Health Significance filets to preserve freshness. The usual raw Elimination of cardboard from food prepa Savings fish juice runs along the cutting board to the ration and service areas will greatly reduce Many cardboard cutter boxes completely table where the box naturally absorbs the the risk of cross-contamination and the deteriorate before a roll of film or foil is used moisture. The chef cleans up and of course transfer of general filth to consumer food up. A more common problem with these performs a handwashing. He or she then products and prepared meals. Getting rid of products is loss due to tangles, attributable to grabs the cutter box and places it on a shelf, cardboard also will contribute to the overall inferior cutter box dispensers. Industry esti to be used later. Now the cardboard has suf goals of the hazard analysis critical control mates state that, on average, 10 percent of all ficient moisture to stay moist all day. Not point (HACCP) system and the dedicated film and foil is thrown out so that a new box only will bacteria begin to grow rapidly, but efforts of food safety and environmental can be opened. A good dispenser allows for also general filth will easily adhere to the health professionals. the entire roll to be used. If basic pride and moist cardboard surface. professionalism are not enough to prompt a This scenario continues on throughout the Recommended Solution food service operator to take action about the day and night until everything is carefully Identify the following as food contact sur- problem, money savings often are. A health wrapped up for the next day. The same goes faces: inspector may simply ask a food service for aluminum foil. The cross-contamination • plastic film/wrap, including continuous operator how much the establishment potential is obvious. and perforated rolls; spends on film and foil per year to determine • aluminum foil, including continuous rolls loss. As stated earlier, these cutter boxes are Eye-Opening Results and pop-up sheets; nothing more than shipping containers with Is this scenario realistic? In fact, it is merely • individual wax and paper sheets used for a blade attached. NSF-approved dispensers a snapshot of a typical day. A simple inspec portioning and wrapping; are perhaps the only food safety equipment tion of the bottom and sides of any cutter • parchment paper; and solution for dispensers that saves an operator box used for more than one day in an aver • food-handling gloves, including latex and money and solves the sanitation issue. age-volume kitchen will reveal moisture and nonlatex gloves. continued on page 26
March 2003 • Journal of Environmental Health 25 continued from page 25 The storage of knives wedged between HACCP-related products. At the 2002 NEHA pieces of equipment such as steam tables, conference in Minneapolis, only one equip Other Areas of Cross- sandwich prep tables, and so forth, is a wide ment dealer featured a broad line of food Contamination ly accepted practice. The general public safety solutions that attendees could refer to. Equipment solutions are also available for would not want to look in these crevices Fortunately that dealer has an extensive food other areas of cross-contamination. with a flashlight. A solution is NSF-certified safety section on its Web site. Like cardboard, oven mitts, aprons, hot knife racks that are also color coded for the pads, and kitchen towels are blatant vehicles comprehensive HACCP program. These Conclusion for cross-contamination. An article regarding racks are dishwasher safe. Bottom line: The cardboard cutter boxes for oven mitts as a vehicle for cross-contamina- plastic film and aluminum foil are every tion appeared in the July/August 2001 issue Equipment Solution Availability kitchen’s dirty little secret, a virtual super of the Journal (Weklinski, 2001); a very com The restaurant equipment supply arena has store for bacteria and pathogens. Along with pelling case was presented. Standard cotton become extremely competitive. As in any busi oven mitts, these boxes are some of the most textiles absorb moisture and grease. They ness, innovation, keeping up with market overlooked vehicles for cross-contamination. rarely retain their integrity, leaving exposed trends, and addressing the needs of customers Thanks to the hard work and dedication of dirty cotton and wool to spread across are imperative to growth and success. To their our health departments and food safety train kitchen surfaces and onto bare hands. Only credit, equipment manufacturers have been ers, sanitation awareness and training are one brand available to the industry has very effective in providing the industry with bringing to the forefront the “back alleys” of received NSF certification. Unlike standard NSF- or UL-approved solutions for food safety commercial kitchens. apparel, these products retain their integrity issues. The distributors and dealers have been after dozens of machine wash cycles. The very slow, however, to embrace food safety Corresponding Author: Ken Krall, President, fabric has a proprietary coating that is imper equipment solutions as a product group. As a Kenkut Products, Inc., P.O. Box 704, San vious to liquid, steam, and grease, therefore result, placement of these products on show Anselmo, CA 94979. E-mail:
REFERENCES
Food Development Centre & McRae, M. (1997). Certificate of analy Food and Drug Administration. (2001b). Public health sis food microbiology. http://www.kenkut.com/fooddevelopment- reasons/administrative guidelines. Food code. Annex 3, centre.htm (25 May 2002). Paragraphs 4.101.11 / 4-101.111 / 4-201.11 / 4- 202.11 / 4-202.16 Marin Biologic & Weiss, T. (1998). Quantitation of growth of Shigella / 4-601.11 / 4-602.13. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc01- dysenteriae, Salmonella choleraesuis, Listeria monocytogenes, a3.html (22 Dec. 2001). Escherichia coli on cardboard and ABS plastic surfaces. Weklinski, P. (2001). Oven mitts as a vehicle for cross-contamina- http://www.kenkut.com/Marinstudy.htm (25 May 2000). tion in commercial food service establishments. Journal of Food and Drug Administration. (2001a). Equipment, utensils, and Environmental Health, 64(1), 27-28. linens. Food code. Chapter 4, Paragraphs 4-101.11 / 4-101.111 / 4- 201.11 / 4-202.11 / 4-202.16 / 4-601.11 / 4-602.11 / 4-602.13. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc01-4.html (22 Dec. 2001).
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