Food delivery services have contributed to the food security of its patrons by making ready-to-eat food more accessible. However, sanitary conditions under which food is delivered can threaten this security. This study evaluated the delivery boxes' microbial contamination as an index of hygiene compliance of the delivery personnel. Swaps were taken from the delivery boxes of twenty (20) conveniently sampled food delivery personnel at the beginning and the end of the week. The microbial contamination of the boxes was determined using standard methods. The cleanliness of the boxes was qualitatively evaluated with the aid of an observation guide. The mean ranges of total aerobic count (5.61 – 6.03 LogCFU/cm2), coliforms (5.23 – 6.33 LogCFU/cm2), Escherichia coli (3.00 – 3.60 LogCFU/cm2) and Staphylococcus aureus (3.00 – 3.554 LogCFU/cm2) counts were higher than the acceptable safe limits. The microbial loads were lower at the beginning of the week than at the end of the week; however, the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The microbes identified were indicative of human and faecal contamination and poor hygiene by the personnel. The delivery boxes sampled are unsanitary for food transportation, therefore, training and regulatory enforcement are vital to improve hygienic compliance of the food delivery personnel and to ensure consumer protection.
| Published in | International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences (Volume 13, Issue 5) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18 |
| Page(s) | 227-238 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Delivery Box, Food Delivery, Food Hygiene, Microbial Contamination
| [1] | Tamakloe, R., Zhang, K., Atandzi, J., & Park, D. (2024). Examining urban delivery service user profiles and determinants of drone delivery adoption in Ghana considering usage before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Transport Policy, 146, 279-294. |
| [2] | Li, C., Mirosa, M., & Bremer, P. (2020). Review of online food delivery platforms and their impacts on sustainability. Sustainability, 12(14), 5528. |
| [3] | Mfon, A., & Uford, I. C. (2022). Consumer preference survey of de choice fast food in uyo metropolis, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. British Journal of Marketing Studies, 10(2), 13-34. |
| [4] | Gargiulo, A. H., Duarte, S. G., Campos, G. Z., Landgraf, M., Franco, B. D., & Pinto, U. M. (2022). Food safety issues related to eating in and eating out. Microorganisms, 10(11), 2118. |
| [5] | Thamaraiselvan, N., Jayadevan, G. R., & Chandrasekar, K. S. (2019). Digital food delivery apps revolutionizing food products marketing in India. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 8(2), 662-665. |
| [6] | Milkman, R., Elliott-Negri, L., Griesbach, K., & Reich, A. (2021). Gender, class, and the gig economy: The case of platform-based food delivery. Critical Sociology, 47(3), 357-372. |
| [7] | Xie, J., Xu, Y., & Li, H. (2021). Environmental impact of express food delivery in China: the role of personal consumption choice. Environment, development and sustainability, 23, 8234-8251. |
| [8] | Ubaidillah, U., Cakrawala, B., & Yaningsih, I. (2023). Food Delivery Box by Utilizing Exhaust Gas from Motorcycle Engine Combustion. International Journal of Heat & Technology, 41(3). |
| [9] | Filippini, F. (2021). Sustainability in the last mile online food delivery: an important contribution using the case study of “Glovo”. |
| [10] | Zarmani, N. F., Zulkarnain, A. S., & Tumiran, M. A. (2024). Food Delivery: Issues And Recommendation Towards Its Halal Supply Chain. al-Qanatir: International Journal of Islamic Studies, 33(4), 146-158. |
| [11] | Yang, F. X., Li, X., Lau, V. M. C., & Zhu, V. Z. (2021). To survive or to thrive? China’s luxury hotel restaurants entering O2O food delivery platforms amid the COVID-19 crisis. International journal of hospitality management, 94, 102855. |
| [12] | Ramos, K. (2022). Factors influencing customers' continuance usage intention of food delivery apps during COVID-19 quarantine in Mexico. British Food Journal, 124(3), 833-852. |
| [13] | Kamboj, S., Gupta, N., Bandral, J. D., Gandotra, G., & Anjum, N. (2020). Food safety and hygiene: A review. International journal of chemical studies, 8(2), 358-368. |
| [14] | Ghezzi, S., & Ayoun, B. (2013). Food safety in the US catering industry: empirical findings. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 25(3), 365-382. |
| [15] | Insfran-Rivarola, A., Tlapa, D., Limon-Romero, J., Baez-Lopez, Y., Miranda-Ackerman, M., Arredondo-Soto, K., & Ontiveros, S. (2020). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of food safety and hygiene training on food handlers. Foods, 9(9), 1169. |
| [16] | Acheampong, R. A. (2021). Accra: City scoping study. African Cities Research Consortium. 1-11. |
| [17] | Taulo, S., Wetlesen, A., Abrahamsen, R., Mkakosya, R., & Kululanga, G. (2008). Microbiological quality of water, associated management practices and risks at source, transport and storage points in a rural community of Lungwena, Malawi. Afr. J. Microbiol. Res, 22, 131-137. |
| [18] | Degaga, B., Sebsibe, I., Belete, T., & Asmamaw, A. (2022). Microbial quality and safety of raw vegetables of Fiche Town, Oromia, Ethiopia. Journal of environmental and public health, 2022(1), 2556858. |
| [19] | Kebede, M. T., & Getu, A. A. (2023). Assessment of bacteriological quality and safety of raw meat at slaughterhouse and butchers’ shop (retail outlets) in Assosa Town, Beneshangul Gumuz Regional State, Western Ethiopia. BMC microbiology, 23(1), 403. |
| [20] | Tzamourani, A., Kalogri, G., Kavvatha, M., Kochila, A., Manthou, E., Liu, Y., & Panagou, E. Z. (2024). Inoculated fermentation of cv. Conservolea natural black olives with multifunctional starter cultures in reduced-sodium brines. International Journal of Food Science & Technology, 59(6), 4093-4108. |
| [21] | Habib, F., Rind, R., Durani, N., Bhutto, A. L., Buriro, R. S., Tunio, A., ... & Shoaib, M. (2015). Morphological and cultural characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from different animal species. Journal of Applied Environmental and Biological Sciences, 5(2), 15-26. |
| [22] | Ncoko, P., Jaja, I. F., & Oguttu, J. W. (2020). Microbiological quality of beef, mutton, and water from different abattoirs in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Veterinary world, 13(7), 1363. |
| [23] | Ogodo, A. C., Agwaranze, D. I., Daji, M., & Aso, R. E. (2022). Microbial techniques and methods: basic techniques and microscopy. In Analytical Techniques in Biosciences (pp. 201-220). Academic Press. |
| [24] | AL-Joda, B. M. S., & Jasim, A. H. (2021). Biochemical testing revision for identification several kinds of bacteria. Journal of University of Babylon for Pure and Applied Sciences, 29(2), 168-176. |
| [25] | MacArthur, R. L., Teye, E., & Darkwa, S. (2021). Microbial contamination in palm oil selected from markets in major cities of Ghana. Heliyon, 7(7). |
| [26] | Zaidi, S., Vats, M., Kumar, N., Janbade, A., & Gupta, M. K. (2022). Evaluation of food packaging paper for microbial load and storage effect on the microbial activity of paper. Packaging Technology and Science, 35(7), 569-577. |
| [27] | Muche, N., Geremew, T., & Jiru, T. M. (2023). Isolation and characterization of potential probiotic yeasts from Ethiopian injera sourdough. 3 Biotech, 13(9), 300. |
| [28] | Arifah, F., Aini, L. Q., & Muhibuddin, A. (2023). Molecular and morphological characterization of fungi isolated from nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity, 24(1). |
| [29] | Zulfakar, S. S., Abu Hassan, M. F., & Abu Bakar, N. F. (2019). Microbiological Assessment of Selected Laboratories at a Local University in Malaysia. Jurnal Sains Kesihatan Malaysia, 17, 119-126. http://dx.doi.org./10.17576/JSKM-2019-14 |
| [30] | Çetin, Ö., Kahraman, T., & Büyükünal, S. K. (2006). Microbiological evaluation of food contact surfaces at red meat processing plants in Istanbul, Turkey. Italian journal of animal science, 5(3), 277-283. |
| [31] | Biranjia-Hurdoyal, S., & Latouche, M. C. (2016). Factors affecting microbial load and profile of potential pathogens and food spoilage bacteria from household kitchen tables. Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology, 2016(1), 3574149. |
| [32] | FAO. Food hygiene basic texts. FAO, Rome. 1997: 14–32 |
| [33] | Touimi, G. B., Bennani, L., Berrada, S., Benboubker, M., & Bennani, B. (2019). Evaluation of hygienic conditions of food contact surfaces in a hospital kitchen in Morocco. Iranian Journal of Microbiology, 11(6), 527. |
| [34] | Mohammed, S. S., Ayansina, A. D. V., Mohammed, S. R., Oyewole, O. A., & Shaba, A. M. (2018). Evaluation of food contact surfaces in selected restaurants of Kaduna State University for the presence of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Science world journal, 13(3), 45-49. |
| [35] | Alhazmi, M. I. (2015). Isolation of Aeromonas spp. from food products: emerging Aeromonas infections and their significance in public health. Journal of AOAC international, 98(4), 927-929. |
| [36] | Frank, J. F. (2001). Microbial attachment to food and food contact surfaces. Advances in Food and Nutrition Research. 43: 319-370. |
| [37] | Iurlina, M. O., Saiz, A. I., Fuselli, S. R., & Fritz, R. (2006). Prevalence of Bacillus spp. in different food products collected in Argentina. LWT-Food Science and Technology, 39(2), 105-110. |
| [38] | Maes, S., Heyndrickx, M., Vackier, T., Steenackers, H., Verplaetse, A., & De Reu, K. (2019). Identification and spoilage potential of the remaining dominant microbiota on food contact surfaces after cleaning and disinfection in different food industries. Journal of Food Protection, 82(2), 262-275. |
| [39] | Posteraro, B., Quaranta, G., Posteraro, K. & Sanguinetti, M. (2018). Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In D. Liu (Ed.) Handbook of foodborne diseases. CRC Press. |
| [40] | Tournas, V. H., Heeres, J., & Burgess, L. (2006). Moulds and yeasts in fruit salads and fruit juices. Food microbiology, 23(7), 684-688. |
| [41] | Yadav, S., Manjunatha, K. H., Ramachandra, B., Suchitra, N., & Prabha, R. (2014). Characterization of pigment producing rhodotorula from dairy environmental samples. Asian Journal of Dairying & Foods Research, 33(1), 1-4. |
| [42] | Olagunju, O., Mchunu, N., Venter, S., Guibert, B., Durand, N., Metayer, I., ... & Ijabadeniyi, O. (2018). Fungal contamination of food commodities in Durban, South Africa. Journal of Food Safety, 38(6), e12515. |
| [43] | Mostafidi, M., Sanjabi, M. R., Shirkhan, F., & Zahedi, M. T. (2020). A review of recent trends in the development of the microbial safety of fruits and vegetables. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 103, 321-332. |
| [44] | Sabuj, A. A. M., Haque, Z. F., Younus, M. I., Pondit, A., Barua, N., Hossain, M. G., ... & Saha, S. (2020). Microbial risk assessment of ready-to-eat fast foods from different street-vended restaurants. s, Int. J. One Health, 6(1): 41-48 |
| [45] | Nizar, N. N. A., & Abidin, S. A. S. Z. (2021). Online Food Delivery Services: Make or Break the Halal Supply Chain? Journal of Food and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 384-394. |
| [46] | Sagoo, S. K., Little, C. L., Griffith, C. J., & Mitchell, R. T. (2003). Study of cleaning standards and practices in food premises in the United Kingdom. Communicable Disease and Public Health, 6(1), 6-17. |
| [47] | ISO. (2006). ISO 4832:2006: Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs — Horizontal method for the enumeration of coliforms — Colony-count technique. International Organization for Standardization. |
| [48] | Baidya, S., & Rahman, T. (2021). A Review on the prevalence and Detection of Bacterial contamination in Common Food and Associated Health Risk (Doctoral dissertation, Brac University). |
| [49] | Shaibu, A. O., Okolocha, E. C., Maikai, B. V., & Olufemi, O. T. (2021). Isolation and antibiogram of Salmonella species from slaughtered cattle and the processing environment in Abuja abattoirs, Nigeria. Food Control, 125, 107972. |
| [50] | Percival, S. L &Williams, W. D. (2014). Aeromonas. In Microbiology of Waterborne Diseases (Second Edition) Microbiological Aspects and Risks. Academic Press. Page 49 64 |
| [51] | Eifert, J. D., & National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. (2022). Microbiological testing by industry of ready-to-eat foods under FDA’s jurisdiction for pathogens (or appropriate indicator organisms): Verification of preventive controls. Journal of Food Protection, 85(11), 1646–1666 |
| [52] | Ehuwa, O., Jaiswal, A. K., & Jaiswal, S. (2021). Salmonella, food safety and food handling practices. Foods, 10(5), 907. |
| [53] | Aryee, A., & Edgeworth, J. D. (2017). Carriage, clinical microbiology and transmission of Staphylococcus aureus. Staphylococcus aureus: Microbiology, Pathology, Immunology, Therapy and Prophylaxis, 1-19. |
| [54] | Bhunia, A. K. (2018). Foodborne microbial pathogens: mechanisms and pathogenesis. Springer. 181-192. |
| [55] | Kanaan, J., Murray, J., Higgins, R., Nana, M., DeMarco, A. M., Korza, G., & Setlow, P. (2022). Resistance properties and the role of the inner membrane and coat of Bacillus subtilis spores with extreme wet heat resistance. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 132(3), 2157-2166. |
| [56] | Carvalheira, A., Silva, J., & Teixeira, P. (2021). Acinetobacter spp. in food and drinking water–A review. Food Microbiology, 95, 103675. |
| [57] | Brouwer, S., Rivera-Hernandez, T., Curren, B. F., Harbison-Price, N., De Oliveira, D. M., Jespersen, M. G., ... & Walker, M. J. (2023). Pathogenesis, epidemiology and control of Group A Streptococcus infection. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 21(7), 431-447. |
| [58] | Alegbeleye, O., Odeyemi, O. A., Strateva, M., & Stratev, D. (2022). Microbial spoilage of vegetables, fruits and cereals. Applied Food Research, 2(1), 100122. |
| [59] | Adi, S. B., Adi, D. D., Acquah-Mensah, J., Asare, C. Y., Akubia, Y. M. and Fagbemi, E. O. (2024) Food Safety and Road Safety Implications of Delivery Rider Practices in Accra, Ghana. Open Access Library Journal, 11: e12170. |
APA Style
Adi, D. D. (2024). Assessment of the Microbial Contamination of Delivery Boxes of Food Delivery Personnel in Accra. International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences, 13(5), 227-238. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18
ACS Style
Adi, D. D. Assessment of the Microbial Contamination of Delivery Boxes of Food Delivery Personnel in Accra. Int. J. Nutr. Food Sci. 2024, 13(5), 227-238. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18
AMA Style
Adi DD. Assessment of the Microbial Contamination of Delivery Boxes of Food Delivery Personnel in Accra. Int J Nutr Food Sci. 2024;13(5):227-238. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18
Share This Article
Twitter
Linked In
Facebook
Copy
Download@article{10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18,
author = {Doreen Dedo Adi},
title = {Assessment of the Microbial Contamination of Delivery Boxes of Food Delivery Personnel in Accra
},
journal = {International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences},
volume = {13},
number = {5},
pages = {227-238},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnfs.20241305.18},
abstract = {Food delivery services have contributed to the food security of its patrons by making ready-to-eat food more accessible. However, sanitary conditions under which food is delivered can threaten this security. This study evaluated the delivery boxes' microbial contamination as an index of hygiene compliance of the delivery personnel. Swaps were taken from the delivery boxes of twenty (20) conveniently sampled food delivery personnel at the beginning and the end of the week. The microbial contamination of the boxes was determined using standard methods. The cleanliness of the boxes was qualitatively evaluated with the aid of an observation guide. The mean ranges of total aerobic count (5.61 – 6.03 LogCFU/cm2), coliforms (5.23 – 6.33 LogCFU/cm2), Escherichia coli (3.00 – 3.60 LogCFU/cm2) and Staphylococcus aureus (3.00 – 3.554 LogCFU/cm2) counts were higher than the acceptable safe limits. The microbial loads were lower at the beginning of the week than at the end of the week; however, the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The microbes identified were indicative of human and faecal contamination and poor hygiene by the personnel. The delivery boxes sampled are unsanitary for food transportation, therefore, training and regulatory enforcement are vital to improve hygienic compliance of the food delivery personnel and to ensure consumer protection.
},
year = {2024}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Assessment of the Microbial Contamination of Delivery Boxes of Food Delivery Personnel in Accra AU - Doreen Dedo Adi Y1 - 2024/10/31 PY - 2024 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18 DO - 10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18 T2 - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences JF - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences JO - International Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences SP - 227 EP - 238 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2327-2716 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnfs.20241305.18 AB - Food delivery services have contributed to the food security of its patrons by making ready-to-eat food more accessible. However, sanitary conditions under which food is delivered can threaten this security. This study evaluated the delivery boxes' microbial contamination as an index of hygiene compliance of the delivery personnel. Swaps were taken from the delivery boxes of twenty (20) conveniently sampled food delivery personnel at the beginning and the end of the week. The microbial contamination of the boxes was determined using standard methods. The cleanliness of the boxes was qualitatively evaluated with the aid of an observation guide. The mean ranges of total aerobic count (5.61 – 6.03 LogCFU/cm2), coliforms (5.23 – 6.33 LogCFU/cm2), Escherichia coli (3.00 – 3.60 LogCFU/cm2) and Staphylococcus aureus (3.00 – 3.554 LogCFU/cm2) counts were higher than the acceptable safe limits. The microbial loads were lower at the beginning of the week than at the end of the week; however, the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The microbes identified were indicative of human and faecal contamination and poor hygiene by the personnel. The delivery boxes sampled are unsanitary for food transportation, therefore, training and regulatory enforcement are vital to improve hygienic compliance of the food delivery personnel and to ensure consumer protection. VL - 13 IS - 5 ER -
Department of Hospitality and Tourism Education, Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi, Ghana
