title: Health effects of occupational exposure in a dairy food industry, with a specific assessment of exposure to airborne lactic acid bacteria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are used in food industries as probiotic agents. The aim of this study is to assess the potential health effects of airborne exposure to a mix of preblend (LAB and carbohydrate) and milk powder in workers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A medical questionnaire, lung function tests, and immunologic tests were carried out on 50 workers. Occupational exposure to inhalable dust and airborne LAB was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Workers not using respiratory masks reported more symptoms of irritation than workers using protection. Workers from areas with higher levels of airborne LAB reported the most health symptoms and the immune responses of workers to LAB was higher than the immune responses of a control population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measures to reduce exposure to airborne LAB and milk powder in food industries are recommended.
authors: Group of Biological Risks, Institute for Work and Health, Universities of Lausanne and Geneva, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors: Bernd
authors: B
authors: Zeilfelder
authors: Dominique
authors: D
authors: Chouanière
authors: Gabriel
authors: G
authors: Reboux
authors: Mallory
authors: M
authors: Vacheyrou
authors: Antoine
authors: A
authors: Milon
authors: Pascal
authors: P
authors: Wild
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Oppliger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000391:Air Microbiology; D003611:Dairy Products / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D006801:Humans; D007159:Immunologic Tests; D056546:Lactobacillales / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult