Practical Stuff!

A Protocol for Quantitative Measurement of Light Intensity Levels in Food Service Operations

* Many health departments rely on visual assessment of light intensity levels to enforce food code standards.

* Such visual inspections are qualitative in nature and are not always accurate.

* Recent studies suggest that qualitative inspections only minimally reduce risks of foodborne-disease outbreaks.

* This study quantitatively measured lighting in walk-in coolers and at food preparation counters in 57 food service establishments in Ohio.

* Measurements were conducted alongside regular sanitarian inspections.

* Seventy-five percent of coolers met the standard of 10 foot-candles (ft-c).

* But only four of the sanitarian inspection reports noted inadequate cooler illumination.

* Also, at 47 percent of the establishments, no counters met the 50 ft-c standard.

* Inadequate counter illumination was noted only once by a sanitarian.

* Thus, qualitative assessments did not identify most of the lighting standard violations.

* Walk-in coolers fitted with fluorescent-light fixtures were found to have a higher passing rate than walk-in coolers fitted with incandescent-light fixtures.

* The study also found gaps in the regulations.

* Neither the Ohio nor the FDA food code specified the locations where light levels should be assessed in walk-in coolers.

* Light intensity levels may not be uniform throughout the coolers.

* In the majority of the restaurants sampled, food was stored on shelves along the sides of walk-in coolers/freezers.

* Light intensity levels, however, were much lower on the shelves than at the center floor.

* Also, it is not clear that the light intensity levels recommended in the local and federal food codes are adequate for the tasks described in those codes.

* Additional guidelines are recommended.

* They should be based on

--the nature of the visual task,

--contrast,

--duration of the task,

--speed of the task, and

--age of the workers.

* The authors recommend that all health departments use standard light meters to determine light intensity levels in food service operations.

* They also recommend that manufacturers consider using fluorescent-light fixtures when manufacturing walk-in coolers for food storage purposes.

The Efficacy of Cleaning Products on Food Industry Surfaces

* The increased incidence of foodborne illness and the growing use of chemical sanitizers in the food industry led the authors to an investigation of alternative, chemical-free methods.

* Kitchen fiber cloths and all-purpose fiber cloths sanitized with hot water at 167[degrees]F (75[degrees]C) were considered.

* These methods were compared with use of

--generic antibacterial cloths,

--cleaning cloths sanitized with hot water at 167[degrees]F (75[degrees]C), and

--cleaning cloths sanitized with chemical sanitizers--quaternary ammonium compound (QAC) or hypochlorite.

* The QAC sanitizer resulted in the lowest overall concentrations of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

* For removal of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, kitchen fiber cloths sanitized with hot water at 167[degrees]F (75[degrees]C) performed similarly to generic cloths sanitized with QAC.

* The sanitizing performance of the kitchen fiber cloths also was similar to that of the antibacterial cloths.

* Use of the fiber cloths resulted in lower concentrations of bacteria on stainless-steel kitchen surfaces than did use of generic cloths sanitized with hot water at 167[degrees]F (75[degrees]C).

* For both S. aureus and E. coli, concentrations of bacteria on the stainless-steel kitchen surfaces were higher after use of cloths sanitized with hypochlorite than after use of all-purpose fiber cloths sanitized with hot water at 167[degrees]F (75[degrees]C).

* These results indicate that the all-purpose fiber cloths sanitized with water at 167[degrees]F (75[degrees]C) were as effective at removing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria from stainless-steel kitchen surfaces as were generic cloths sanitized with hypochlorite.

* Compared with other sanitizers, hypochlorite sanitizers have disadvantages:

--They cause corrosion of metallic equipment.

--They are inactivated by most organic materials.

* Therefore, on stainless-steel surfaces it would be preferable to use all-purpose fiber cloths sanitized with water at 167[degrees]F (75[degrees]C) rather than hypochlorite sanitizer.

This department, "Practical Stuff!" originated from you, our readers. Many of you have expressed to us that one of the main reasons you read the Journal of Environmental Health is to glean practical and useful information for your everyday work-related activities. In response to your feedback, we dedicate this section to you with salient points to remember about two to three articles in each issue.