Efficacy of low-pressure foam cleaning compared to conventional cleaning methods in the removal of bacteria from surfaces associated with convenience food.

Background: Food borne illnesses and food poisoning are cause for concern globally. The diseases are often caused by food contamination with pathogenic bacteria due largely to poor sanitary habits or storage conditions.

Objectives: Prevalence of some bacteria on cleaned and sanitised food contact surfaces from eight convenience food plants in Gauteng (South Africa) was investigated with the view to evaluate the efficacy of the cleaning methods used with such food contact surfaces.

Bacterial contamination of the hands of food handlers as indicator of hand washing efficacy in some convenient food industries in South Africa.

Background And Objectives: Hands of ready-to-eat food service employees have been shown to be vectors in the spread of foodborne disease, mainly because of poor personal hygiene and accounting for approximately 97% of food borne illnesses in food service establishments and homes. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of hand washing practices and sanitation before commencing work among food handlers in the convenient food industry in Gauteng, South Africa.

Methods: A total of 230 samples were collected, involving 100% of the food handlers, in 8 selected convenient food outlets with their main focus on preparing ready-to-eat foods.

Operating conditions for the continuous bioremediation of free cyanide contaminated wastewater using Aspergillus awamori.

Generation of cyanide-containing wastewater is a growing problem worldwide as numerous cyanide complexes are highly unstable and degrade to form free cyanide (F-CN), the most toxic form of cyanide. Agro-waste materials, such as sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) waste from the citrus industry, are rich in readily metabolisable carbohydrates that can supplement microbial activity and thus support biodegradation of toxic compounds in wastewater. This study reports on optimal operating conditions for the continuous biodegradation of F-CN in wastewater using an Aspergillus awamori isolate in a process supported solely using C.

Antioxidant, antimicrobial and antiverotoxic potentials of extracts of Curtisia dentata.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: There is an increase in antimicrobial resistance and complexities arising from verotoxic related bacterial infections as well as rise in demand for application of natural antioxidants to combat oxidative damage by free radicals in many oxidative stress-mediated disease conditions such as cancer. Thus the potential of Curtisia dentata as antimicrobial, antioxidant and antiverotoxin against environmental isolates of Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter spp. as well as the presence of phytochemicals and some organic compounds, was determined.