Investigation of Bacterial and Fungal Contamination in Domestic Refrigerators

Consumers often think that food is safe when stored in refrigerators at 4°C. However, food can still spoil and cause foodborne illness, which is one of the most important health challenges. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating bacterial and fungal contamination in domestic refrigerators.

In this study, 30 domestic refrigerators were examined. First, microbial plates including blood agar and Saburo were placed on the refrigerator shelves for one hour. Then the bacterial cultures were incubated for 48 hours at 36°C and the fungal cultures were incubated for 5 days at 28°C and the colonies were counted. Finally, in order to check the level of contamination of the refrigerator surfaces, treated samples were prepared from the surface of the refrigerator shelves using moist sterile swabs.

Based on the results, 100% bacterial contamination and 58% fungal contamination were observed in the air of household refrigerators, and the amount of bacterial and fungal contamination on the surface of domestic refrigerators was 4.7-8.9 and 3.6-7.2 (log CFU/cm2) respectively

As seen in this study, bacteria enter food through unwashed hands, raw foods, leaking packaging, unwashed shelves, refrigerator surfaces, and long-term storage of food in the refrigerator. Therefore, if refrigerators are not maintained properly, they become a place for the growth of microorganisms and directly and indirectly contaminate the refrigerator and food and make people sick.