Beware of kitchen towels! A new study warns

The tea towels we use in the kitchen are full of bacteria and put us at risk of food poisoning.

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

Dishcloths nests of bacteria. Repeated use of dish towels in the kitchen could put families at risk of food poisoning. Their "multiple" use, in fact, would increase the possibility of cross-contamination of potential pathogens that can spread bacteria and lead to dangerous contamination.

To confirm the existence of bacteria on the towels we use in the kitchen were researchers from the University of Mauritius who examined 100 towels that had been used for a month.

Not only, therefore, the sponges with which we wash the dishes, but also the dishcloths they are confirmed to be - already another research had elevated them to “objects more infested with germs” in the kitchen - a nice receptacle for bacteria.

From the study, the most present bacterium was found to be Escherichia coli, which is found mainly in multipurpose towels, such as those for cleaning ladles or drying hands in the kitchen, confirming a fact: multiple use of tea towels increases the possibility of contamination and the spread of bacteria.

A systematic review

The researchers cultured the bacteria found on the towels to identify them and determined their viral load. Of these, 49% saw bacterial growth, a percentage that increased when a large family or children were using the towel.

Of the 49 samples that were positive for bacterial growth, 36,7% developed coliform bacteria, a group that includes E. coli, while 14,3% had staphylococcus aureus.

Coliform bacteria and staphylococci were found with a "significantly higher prevalence" on the towels of households who ate meat and remember that coliform bacteria can cause a wide range of conditions in humans, from stomach cramps to fever and vomiting to more serious conditions such as pneumonia and respiratory diseases, while Staphylococcus aureus bacteria can lead to life-threatening conditions such as meningitis, bacteremia and toxic shock syndrome.

“Our study shows that family composition and hygiene practices in the kitchen influenced the microbial load of kitchen towels - says Susheela Biranjia-Hurdoyal of the University of Mauritius. We also found that diet, type of use and damp kitchen towels could be very important in promoting the growth of potential pathogens responsible for food poisoning. "

How then to avoid poisoning? What is essential is to follow all the rules of hygiene in the kitchen letter by letter, as well as regularly change the dishcloths and dish towels and make sure that the food preparation surfaces are clean before and after use.