Enterobacteriaceae on food-contact surfaces
Surface contamination in foodservice facilities remains a food safety concern. Although hygiene monitoring commonly relies on Enterobacteriaceae as indicator bacteria, their genomic diversity and public health relevance in these settings remain poorly defined. This study used whole-genome sequencing to characterize Enterobacteriaceae recovered from hands, direct food-contact surfaces, and indirect or adjacent food-contact surfaces after routine hygiene procedures in Portuguese foodservice facilities between June 2023 and August 2024.  Isolates were analyzed for species assignment, serotype, sequence type, genomic relatedness, antimicrobial resistance and virulence determinants, and plasmid replicons.
Surface contamination in foodservice facilities remains a food safety concern. Although hygiene monitoring commonly relies on Enterobacteriaceae as indicator bacteria, their genomic diversity and public health relevance in these settings remain poorly defined. This study used whole-genome sequencing to characterize Enterobacteriaceae recovered from hands, direct food-contact surfaces, and indirect or adjacent food-contact surfaces after routine hygiene procedures in Portuguese foodservice facilities between June 2023 and August 2024.  Isolates were analyzed for species assignment, serotype, sequence type, genomic relatedness, antimicrobial resistance and virulence determinants, and plasmid replicons.