Do you know what's growing on your kitchen towel?
Ever wonder how much bacteria is growing on your kitchen towel? A new study suggests that it may be a lot, and that the amount increases with family size and frequency of meat consumption. Researchers cultured bacteria from 100 kitchen towels after one month of use to determine both the type and amount of bacterial growth. They found that 49% of the towels exhibited growth of bacteria normally found in or on the human body. "In this study, we investigated the potential role of kitchen towels in cross-contamination in the kitchen and various factors affecting the microbial profile and load of kitchen towels," said Susheela D. Biranjia-Hurdoyal , senior lecturer of health sciences at the University of Mauritius and a lead author on the study presented Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology . Of the 49 towels showing bacterial growth, almost three-quarters grew bacteria normally found in the intestines, such as E. coli and Enteroco