Damp tea towels can give you food poisoning

Unhygienic practices in the kitchen pose health risk, warn scientists

DO NOT dry your hands on used tea towels because they are a haven for deadly bugs, a study has warned.

Scientists from the University of Mauritius said using tea towels for wiping surfaces and utensils before drying hands is putting householders at risk of food poisoning.

Researchers examined 100 towels that had been used for a month without washing and discovered that E.coli was more likely to be found on towels used for multiple jobs.

The study found that damp cloths were most likely to be harbouring deadly bugs. Out of the 49 samples that were positive, more than a third (37 per cent) grew E.coli.

Dr Susheela Biranjia-hurdoyal, the report’s lead author, said: “The data indicated that unhygienic practices while handling non-vegetarian food could be common in the kitchen.

“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.”

Of the towels collected, 49 per cent had bacterial growth, which increased in number with extended family, presence of children and increasing family size.

Food poisoning bugs, which can be fatal for the elderly or infirm, were also much more prevalent on tea towels from families that had non-vegetarian diets.

Researchers cultured the bacteria and identified them by standard biochemical tests. They also determined the amount of bugs on the towels.

Dr Biranjia-hurdoyal said the presence of potential pathogens from the kitchen towels indicated they could be responsible for crosscontamination and lead to food poisoning.

Of the 49 samples that tested positive for bacterial growth, 36.7 per cent grew coliform bacteria, a group which includes E.coli.

Of the rest, 36.7 per cent were another type of bacteria called enterococcus spp, and 14.3 per cent were another type called staphylococcus aureus.

Coliform bacteria and staphylococcus were found at a “significantly higher prevalence” on towels from meat-eating households.

Government guidelines recommend washing or changing dish cloths, tea towels, sponges and oven gloves regularly and letting them dry before re-use.

The research is being presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Atlanta, Georgia.

Scientists cultured the bacteria found on the towels to identify them and determined the bacterial load.