- Laboratories need to have and adhere to strict cleaning and sanitizing protocols. There is a lot of emphasis on cleaning and sanitizing in the food production facilities, but unfortunately, this may not be as strictly enforced in the laboratories.
- Laboratories located in food production facilities need to recognize they are a high risk source for pathogens, especially if those laboratories are using methods that enrich for pathogens such as Salmonella or Listeria. Laboratories need to verify cleaning through environmental monitoring. Control of access for people and materials in and out of the laboratories must be in place.
- Pathogens are highly infectious, so people working in the laboratories must adhere to proper personal hygiene protocols. Not only can these pathogens represent a risk to food produced, but there is also a risk for laboratory workers as well as family or friends of those workers.
We have all seen laboratories where too much is taken for granted. That is, cleaning off the bench top or keeping it under the hood is all that one needs to do. But when working with bacteria that are, or may be pathogens, a test tube, a petri dish, or sample card can have levels in the millions of cells per gram or ml. Considering it may take as few as 10 cells or less to make someone ill, it is easy for a small amount to make it past rudimentary cleaning procedures. (I know, there are some of you that used to mouth-pipet this stuff).
Infection Control Today
http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2017/07/human-salmonella-typhimurium-infections-linked-to-exposure-to-microbiology-labs.aspx
Human Salmonella Typhimurium Infections Linked to Exposure to Microbiology Labs
July 19, 2017
Infection Control Today
http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2017/07/human-salmonella-typhimurium-infections-linked-to-exposure-to-microbiology-labs.aspx
Human Salmonella Typhimurium Infections Linked to Exposure to Microbiology Labs
July 19, 2017
