TY  - JOUR
T1  - Microbiological quality on food handlers’ hands at primary schools in Hulu Langat District, Malaysia
A1  - Tan, S. L.
LA  - English
PB  - Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia
YR  - 2013
UL  - http://discoverylib.upm.edu.my/discovery/Record/oai:psasir.upm.edu.my:30533
AB  - A total of 85 food handlers participated in this study to determine the hygienic status of their
hands in primary schools located in the state of Selangor (Malaysia). Overall findings revealed
that the fecal contamination and personal hygiene of the food handlers were well maintained
with the range of mean bacterial counts from 0.18 to 0.47 log 10 Colony Forming Units/cm 2 during the three intervals of hand swabbing (before, during and after) preparation of ready-to-eat foods. However, the general indication of the microbiological quality (Aerobic Plate
Count) was out of the standard (range of mean bacterial counts from 1.39 to 1.56 log 10 Colony Forming Units/cm
2) based on previous literature. This study highlighted that the food handler’s adherence to Good Manufacturing Practice and Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures was
insufficient and suggested that attention should be emphasized on their practices at the intervals
of school recess: before, during and after the preparation of ready-to-eat foods. In addition,
there is also a need in the implementation of an effective HACCP program in Malaysia school
foodservice operations.
ER  -