Anchana Sopon, Duangporn Kantachote, and Narong Na Chiangmai

pp. 71 - 82

Abstract

Sanitation conditions and microbiological quality of 52 “Clean Food Good Taste” restaurants in
Hat Yai city municipality were examined using a standard food sanitation survey checklist based on the
Department of Health and Department of Medical Science, Ministry of Public Health. Coliform bacteria and
Escherichia coli (E. coli) were investigated in samples of foods and drinking water, whereas total bacterial
count (TBC) was carried out in samples of foods, plates, spoons, glasses and food handlers. The methods of
investigation were the Most Probable Number (MPN) method for coliform bacteria, E. coli and the standard
plate count method for TBC. The SI-2 field test kit was used to indicate microbiological contamination, particularly coliform bacteria. It was found that 38/52 (73.1%) restaurants passed all items of food sanitation
standard. The food sanitation condition with the lowest number passing was the dressing of food handlers
(45/52, 86.5%) followed by the area for eating, preparing and cooking (47/52, 90.4%). Microbiological quality
of food samples based on both MPN of coliform bacteria and E. coli was at an acceptable level in 190/202
samples (94.1%). However, in samples of drinking water only 19/52 (36.5%) passed the MPN standard for
coliform bacteria and 45/52 (86.5%) that for E. coli. Moreover, among the 52 restaurants, the numbers (percentages) passing the standard TBC in samples of plate, spoon, glass, cooker handlers and server handlers
were 32 (61.5%), 27(51.9%), 20 (38.5%), 2 (3.9%) and 1 (1.9%), respectively. Comparison of microbiological
quality between the SI-2 test kit and MPN coliform/TBC showed no significant differences for samples of
foods, but significant differences for the rest of the samples (p<0.05, t-test).