Bacteriological Load in Traditional Food Packaging Paper
Md. Sohel Rana
Department of Food Technology and Rural Industries, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh- 2202, Bangladesh and Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore-7408, Bangladesh.
Shohel Mahmud
Plant Biotechnology Division, National Institute of Biotechnology, Ganakbari, Savar, Dhaka- 1349, Bangladesh.
Md. Arif Hossain
Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore-7408, Bangladesh.
Masud Rana
Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Life and Earth Science, University of Rajshahi, Rajshshi-6205, Bangladesh.
Enamul Kabir
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh- 2202, Bangladesh.
Ashish Kumar Das
Department of Agro Product Processing Technology, Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore-7408, Bangladesh.
Rajib Kanti Roy *
Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Applied Science and Technology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore-7408, Bangladesh.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: To determine bacteriological load of rejected papers used as food packaging materials and assess their prevalence of use by food vendors.
Methods and Results: Food vendors (n=116) were selected purposively from various street food, fast food, small and large dining stalls or hotels located at Jashore, Bangladesh. Paper samples randomly collected from these vendors were later categorized into 5 different types as food wrapping, plate covering, tray spreading paper and hand cleaning. Then, 7 paper samples from these each 5 types were randomly sampled for microbial analysis. Swabbing and defibering methods for bacterial analysis and SPSS for statistical analysis were employed. The number of bacteria by the defibering method was in the range of (1.9×108-7.5×108) Cfu/g. Sample papers tested by swabbing method contained between minimum 1.2×108 and maximum 9.2×108Cfu/cm2. Under swabbing method, the minimum average bacterial count was 2.8×108 Cfu/cm2 in food serving paper samples and maximum 4.7×108 Cfu/cm2 in wrapping paper samples. By defibering method, maximum average of bacterial load was found in tray spreading paper samples as 5.3×108Cfu/g and minimum average was in plate covering paper as 4.4x108Cfu/g. Types of paper samples were not significantly different when compared with each other against their mean bacterial concentration found by swabbing method (F=0.961, p=0.443) as well as defibering method (F=2.227, p=0.09).The mean quantity of paper use per vendor surveyed was as much as 1.26 kg a day. Anticipatedly, quantity extent of paper use (kg/day) based on the types of food shops showed a significant difference (F=3.9, p=0.01), as understandably, paper use among different shops was apparently highly variable.
Conclusions: The paper samples used for food wrapping and packaging showed high bacterial contamination more than standard acceptance level. There is an urgent need to discourage the use of these papers as food packaging material by creating awareness among food vendors and consumers regarding its harmful effects.
Keywords: Bacteriological load, fast food, food packaging, newspaper in food, bacterial contamination, trash paper, microorganisms in the paper.