Experimental Pilot Study for Microbial Contamination and Growth in Feeding Cups

  • 渡辺 朱理 Department of Oral Health Care and Rehabilitation, The University of Tokushima Graduate School
  • 長岡 仁美 Division of Clinical Technology, Tokushima University Hospital
  • 中江 弘美 Tokushima Bunri University, Faculty of Health and Welfare
  • 吉岡 昌美 Tokushima Bunri University, Faculty of Health and Welfare
  • 横田 憲治 Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University
  • 松山 美和 Department of Oral Health Care and Rehabilitation, The University of Tokushima Graduate School
  • 苔口 進 Department of Oral Microbiology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Keywords: Feeding cup, microbial contamination and growth, Oral bacteria and fungi, hygiene management

Abstract

Feeding cups are used to facilitate drinking by hospital patients or nursing home residents. The aim of this study was to investigate microbial contamination and growth in unfinished drinks in feeding cups.Drinks tested in the feeding cups were mineral water, Japanese green tea, oral rehydration solution, and fruit juice. The pH and sugar content of each drink were measured. Samples were collected from the feeding cups immediately after drinking, and again after storage of the cups at 28 °C for 2 or 5 h. In the case of green tea, samples were also collected during a meal. Oral bacteria (mainly streptococci) and fungi (Candida species) were found in all test samples from feeding cup liquids (range, 25 to 2827 cfu/mL). In the mineral water and green tea, the highest numbers of bacteria were observed after 2 h of storage. Bacterial counts in the green tea samples collected during the meal were increased even after 5 h of storage. Appropriate hygiene management of feeding cups after use is important to reduce the risk of infectious diseases.

 

Published
2019-12-03
Issue
Vol 159 No 4 (2019)
Section
Articles