# Microbiological Contamination in Different Food Service Units Associated with Food Handling
## 3 Results  
Table 1 shows the distribution of samples taken from hands of food handlers and from crockery/utensils according to the type of food service, as well as, the proportion of samples classified as \"unsatisfactory\" and \"bad\". There were 1120 samples analyzed, the majority of them were obtained from Restaurants/Coffee Shops/Snack Bars (n = 457), followed by Retirement Homes/Day Care Centers (n = 248), Butcher Shops/Charcuteries (n = 141), Schools/Kindergartens (n = 131), Supermarkets/Grocery Stores (n = 53), Pastry/Bakery establishments (n = 41), Fishmongers (n = 26) and Canteens (n = 23). \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Samples Taken from Kitchen Utensils/Crockery n = 649**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Samples Taken from Hands of Food**} \\  & & & & & **Handlers n = 471** & \\ \hline
**Type of Food Service** & **Total** & **Unsatisfactory** & **Bad** & **Total** & **Unsatisfactory** & _p-Value_ \\ \hline  & **n** & **n (\%)** & **n (\%)** & **n (\%)** & **n** & **n (\%)** & _p-Value_ \\ \hline Canteen & 13 & 3 (23.1) & 1 (7.7) & & 10 & 4 (40.0) & \\ \hline School/Kindergarten & 73 & 17 (23.3) & 3 (4.1) & & 58 & 14 (24.1) & \\ \hline Retirement Home/Day Care Center & 147 & 31 (21.1) & 13 (8.8) & & 101 & 38 (37.6) & \\ \hline Pastry/Bakery & 24 & 6 (25.0) & 8 (33.3) & \multirow{2}{*}{\(<\)0.001 *} & \multirow{2}{*}{\(<\)0.001 *} & \multirow{2}{*}{\(0.026\) \(\ddagger\)} \\ \cline{1-1} \cline{5-5} Fishmonger & 12 & 4 (50.0) & 6 (33.3) & & 14 & 4 (28.6) & \\ \hline Restaurant/Coffee Shop/Snack Bar & 282 & 75 (26.6) & 8 (2.8) & & 175 & 48 (27.4) & \\ \hline Supermarket/Grocery & 27 & 11 (40.7) & 2 (7.4) & & 26 & 3 (11.5) & \\ \hline Butcher Shop/Charcuterie & 71 & 32 (45.1) & 10 (14.1) & & 70 & 10 (14.3) & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
* likelihood-ratio chi-square test; \(\ddagger\) chi-square test.  
\end{table} 
Table 1: Distribution of samples taken from hands of food handlers and from crockery/utensils according to the type of food service. Out of 471 samples taken from hands of food handlers, 26.8% (n = 126) were classified as \"unsatisfactory\" due to the presence of at least one type of the microorganisms assessed. Such proportion varied according to the type of food service unit from 11.5% in Supermarket/Grocery Stores to 40.0% in Canteens (\(\chi^{2}\) = 15.94; \(p\) = 0.026). Instead, more than one third of 649 samples taken from kitchen utensils/crockery were classified as \"unsatisfactory\" (n = 181; 27.9%) or \"bad\" (n = 49; 7.6%). There were significant differences in this proportion across food service units (LR = 65.01; \(p\) < 0.001), such that the proportion of \"unsatisfactory\" samples was higher in Fishmongers and Butcher Shops/Charcuteries (50.0% and 45.1%, respectively), while a higher proportion of \"bad\" samples was observed in both Pastry/Bakery and Fishmonger establishments (33.3%), followed by Butcher Shops/Charcuteries (14.1%) (Table 1). Of all samples taken from kitchen utensils/crockery, 14.0% (n = 91), 7.4% (n = 48) and 2.9% (n = 19) were positive samples for total coliforms, fecal coliforms and _E. coli_, respectively. Figure 1 presents the proportion of samples taken from kitchen utensils/crockery, presenting one CFU or more of total coliforms, fecal coliforms or _E. coli_, according to the type of food service unit (samples could be positive for all microorganisms assessed). There were significant differences in the frequency of positive samples for total coliforms, varying from 7.8% in Canteens to 50% in Fishmonger establishments (LR = 28.29, \(p\) < 0.001), for fecal coliforms varying from 2.8% in Restaurants/Coffee Shops/Snack Bars to 33.3% in Pastry/Bakery and Fishmonger establishments (LR = 35.57, \(p\) < 0.001) and for _E. coli_ varying from 0.0% in Schools/Kindergartens and Supermarket/Grocery Stores to 25.0% in Fishmonger establishments (LR = 24.90, \(p\) < 0.001).