Benefits of Paper Placemat or Tray Cover Use in the Reduction of Bacterial Contamination in Selected Public Facilities: Executive Summary (Members Only)
/in SanitationExecutive Summary:
Benefits of Paper Placemat or Tray Cover Use in the Reduction of Bacterial Contamination in Selected Public Facilities
![](https://fpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Analysis-Results-290x130-1.png)
![](https://fpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Average-total-425x170-1.png)
Single-Use Versus Reusables: The Good, The Bad and The Yucky
/in SanitationSingle-use versus Reusable Foodservice Packaging: The Good, the Bad, and the Yucky
Foodservice packaging like paper and plastic cups, plates and bowls were invented over 100 years ago to provide a more sanitary alternative to their reusable counterparts and help protect public health. Over the years, the Foodservice Packaging Institute has commissioned independent studies with third-party laboratories to confirm the sanitary advantage of single-use foodservice packaging over reusables.
Before you choose that ceramic mug over a paper or plastic cup, you may want to know what the latest study shows. In 2012, health inspectors visited 30 different foodservice establishments in Sacramento County, Calif. and swabbed nearly 300 single-use cups, plates, bowls and cutlery and their reusable counterparts. These swabs were sent to a laboratory for testing, and here’s what they found:
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- Evidence of Enterococcus and Staphylococcus – bacteria that can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever and chills – was below the detection limit on both the single-use and reusable items. Certainly good news for the foodservice industry.
- Not such good news when it comes to coliform bacteria, which is usually traced back to fecal matter (ewww!) and can cause bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting and occasionally fever. If that’s not bad enough, it can be fatal in the young, elderly and immune-compromised. The results of the swabs taken in Sacramento County showed evidence of coliforms on four percent of reusable items and on none of the single-use items. Hmm, wonder what would have happened to those lucky customers if they had been served the reusable plate, bowl and spoon that the laboratory determined had over six times the coliforms?!?!
Another test was the mere presence of bacteria, which could indicate a food safety or public health hazard. Single-use items were again shown to be more sanitary, with statistically significant lower bacteria counts compared to the reusable items. Consider these test results:
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- Over one-third (gulp!) of the reusable plates and bowls tested had higher than acceptable microbial levels, compared to nine percent of single-use cups.
- One quarter of the reusable forks, knives and spoons tested had higher than acceptable microbial levels, compared to just over ten percent of single-use cups.
- Seventeen percent of reusable cups tested had higher than acceptable microbial levels, compared to only seven percent of single-use cups.
Time after time, sanitation studies prove that single-use Foodservice Packaging is The Sensible Solution.
Sanitation Study: Survey of Reusable and Single-Use Foodservice Items – Full Report (Members Only)
/in SanitationSanitation Study: Survey of Reusable and Single-Use Foodservice Items – Summary
/in SanitationExecutive Summary:
A Study of Reusable and Single-Use Foodservice Items
Conducted for the Foodservice Packaging Institute, Inc. by Silliker, Inc. Food Science Center
September 2012
INTRODUCTION & METHODOLOGY
From December 2011 to April 2012 the Foodservice Packaging Institute, Inc., with the assistance of Sacramento County, California Health Department, conducted a survey of the sanitary quality of single-use foodservice packaging products and their reusable counterparts. Four health inspectors visited 30 different foodservice establishments including coffee bars, restaurants and colleges/universities. In each establishment, five single-use and five reusable foodservice items were sampled using a swab test protocol developed by Silliker, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois, for a study sample size of 300 items. Samples included forks, knives, spoons, cups, containers, plates and bowls.
One sterile transport swab containing a medium to prevent die off of microorganisms was used to sample each foodservice item. The swab was rubbed slowly and thoroughly over the entire food contact surface area and returned to its transport vial for shipment. Vials were packed in ice and shipped to Silliker’s Food Science Center for testing.
Once returned, each swab was tested utilizing standard methodology for aerobic plate count, staphylococcus plate count, enterococcus plate count and coliform most probable number technique. All bacterial counts were converted into logarithms for data analysis. If p>0.05, no statistically significant difference was detected.
RESULTS
All Enterococcus and Coagulase Positive Staphylococcus (CPS) plate counts were below the detection limit of the analyses. Significant differences (p=0.0043) were observed statistically for single-use versus their reusable counterparts for the aerobic plate count (APC). Significant differences (p=0.045) were observed statistically for single-use versus their reusable counterparts for coliform count.
CONCLUSION
Overall, reusable foodservice items had higher microbial levels than single-use foodservice items. This difference could be attributed to handling of reusable items more frequently by food service employees versus single-use items, or insufficient cleaning and sanitizing of reusable foodservice items.
The full report is available for members of the Foodservice Packaging Institute