Abstract

APPLICATION OF BIOLUMINESCENCE METHOD IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Veszelits Lakticová K., Vargová M. and Zigo F.*

ABSTRACT

Personal hygiene of employees in food processing plants is a critical component of food safety. It has been proven that the risk of transmitting pathogenic microorganisms from personnel is higher than the risk from many other potential contamination sources. The presence of certain microbes in food products can cause foodborne illnesses in consumers, shorten the shelf life of products, or reduce their nutritional and sensory qualities. For these reasons, personal hygiene in food processing facilities is a decisive element of production processes and has a significant impact on the safety and quality of the final products. Cleaning and disinfecting the hands of food handlers is one of the most important measures for preventing foodborne diseases. The presence of microorganisms on the hands of food handlers poses a direct risk for disease transmission. This study aimed to evaluate the hand hygiene of employees working in a foodprocessing plant before starting production, during production, and before finishing work using the ATP (adenosine triphosphate) method. ATP swabs were collected from the hands of four selected employees regularly throughout the year, and the results were averaged. The swabs were evaluated using a luminometer. After reading and interpreting the results, we found that all measurements were within the numerical tolerance limits recommended by the manufacturer for hand hygiene, with the exception of employee´s hands no.2, where we recorded 3050 RLU before finishing work, and employee´s hands no.4, where we recorded 510 RLU before starting production. Based on these results, we conclude that the appropriate choice of disinfectant, combined with correct handwashing techniques, plays a crucial role in maintaining food safety and preventing contamination.

Keywords: microorganisms, ATP, personal hygiene, bioluminiscence method, hands, employee.