ATLANTA (RNN) - A study published by the American Society for Microbiology suggests that kitchen towels could potentially cause food poisoning.
Researchers from the University of Mauritius presented the research at the ASM Microbe, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.
A total of 100 kitchen towels were collected after one month of use.
Once collected, researchers cultured the bacteria for testing.
S. aureus, a bacterium largely known to cause disease in humans, had a high presence in towels from families of lower socio-economic status and those with children, according to the study.
Researchers say E-coli was largely present on humid towels than on dried ones.
According to the study, the presence of E-coli on the towels indicate possible fecal contamination and lack of hygiene practices.
“The data indicated that unhygienic practices while handling non-vegetarian food could be common in the kitchen,” said Dr. Biranjia-Hurdoyal, lead author on the study.
The study found that multi-purpose towels had a higher bacterial count than single-use towels.
“Humid towels and multipurpose usage of kitchen towels should be discouraged. Bigger families with children and elderly members should be especially vigilant to hygiene in the kitchen,” said Hurdoyal.
The study was done as part of an undergraduate project.
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