Microbial contamination of enteral feeds
Chantrakooptungool, S.; Rahule, S.; Saksangounmanoon, S.; Surapatana, N.
Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand 72(Suppl): 15-19
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0125-2208 PMID: 2504866 Document Number: 158
A total of 29 hospital-prepared, non-sterile enteral foods and 4 commercially pre-packed dried foods (milk protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and glucose polymer) were examined. In the first series, 5 enteral foods from patients with loose stools and 2 from patients without diarrhoea were tested. In the second series, 10 enteral foods freshly prepared from the kitchen and 12 from the wards were tested. Coliform counts were performed by using the most probable number method. Results showed that all 4 commercially pre-packed foods had no bacterial contamination. Each of the 29 hospital-prepared, non-sterile foods had aerobic viable counts exceeding 105 organisms/g with a high coliform count in each food. Both the aerobic plate count and the coliform count exceeded numerical limits for microorganisms in enteral foods. Organisms isolated were mainly Gram-negative bacilli. Sources of contamination were food containers and the liquidizer, which were inadequately disinfected. It is recommended that monitoring of microbiological quality of enteral foods should be carried out.