Microbiological Safety of Kitchen Sponges Used in Food Establishments

Table 2

Food handlers’ familiarity with foodborne illness, Jimma, 2011 ().

Familiarity and practice	Incidence	Percent
Had information about foodborne diseases	180	89.6
Causes of foodborne illness
(i) Microbes	160	79.6
(ii) Substance	3	1.5
(iii) Unhygienic food preparation	50	24.9
(iv) Others	3	1.5
Vehicle for transmission of foodborne disease
(i) Contaminated food	168	83.6
(ii) Contaminated water	71	35.5
(iii) Vectors like flies and cockroaches	112	55.7
Factors contributing to food contamination
(i) Unclean hands	167	83.1
(ii) Grimy food handlers	37	18.4
(iii) Dirty utensils	124	61.6
(iv) Unhygienic working environment	63	31.5
(v) Infestation by insects and rats	45	22.6
Dish washing and kitchen cleaning material
(i) Sponge	201	100
(ii) Cloth	152	75.6
(iii) Towel	38	18.9
Life span of a kitchen sponge (days)
(i) 3–5	31	15.4
(ii) 6–8	121	60.2
(iii) 9–11	49	24.4