Hort

Food safety has emerged as an important global issue with international trade and public health implications. Diseases related to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene are a huge burden in developing countries. It is estimated that 88% of diarrheal disease is caused by unsafe water supply, and inadequate sanitation and hygiene (WHO, 2004). Schools often lack a proper system of drinking-water system, sanitation and hand washing facilities; alternatively, where such facilities do exist they are often inadequate in both quality and quantity. Schools with poor water, sanitation and hygiene conditions, and intense levels of person-to-person contact, are high-risk environments for children and staff, and exacerbate children‟s particular susceptibility to environmental health hazards. Providing adequate levels of water supply, sanitation and hygiene in schools is of direct relevance to the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals of achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and reducing child mortality. Children are more exposed to pathogens in the environment because of poor or lack of sanitary habits. This is likely to be especially true of enteric pathogens, which are transmitted by the faecal oral route through water, soil and food. Most important is the immune system, the less developed the immune system in children could lead to more serious infections. The present study was undertaken to assess the hygiene and sanitation status in different pre-schools of East and Central Delhi. The study aimed at obtaining information about the general profile of the employees, handling food, their food handling practices, sanitation processes while preparing food and awareness about general hygiene. Thumb imprint of various food handlers were accounted for along with food contact and non -food contact surfaces. Thumb imprint of the fifteen food handlers and workers were collected during various stages of work from the five preschools. Since, hand hygiene is very critical and affects the quality of food; so hands both unwashed and washed with the available resources were accounted for and also during cooking and serving. The microbial load drastically reduced after the washing step. The results indicate that the personal hygiene needs to be reinforced in the handlers. The rinse method results showed majority of utensils were clean and not contributing to the microbial load although the exception was seen in case of school S2 where all the utensils carried a high microbial load. Among the utensils tested, the pressure cookers were found to be most contaminated which can be attributed to the fact that the gaskets and pressure whistle are not removed and cleaned. The swab data indicated a high level of contamination. After assessment, it was found that there was a strong need for educating the food handlers. Corrective actions were given which could help to fill up the existing lacunae in the prevailing situation by controlling the undesirable practices of the food service providers to ensure food safety. A leaflet was designed to act as a guideline for following correct food safety and hygienic practices in food service institutions.

Meat Science, 2010

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2012

Food safety has emerged as an important global issue with international trade and public health implications. Diseases related to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene are a huge burden in developing countries. It is estimated that 88% of diarrheal disease is caused by unsafe water supply, and inadequate sanitation and hygiene (WHO, 2004). Schools often lack a proper system of drinking-water system, sanitation and hand washing facilities; alternatively, where such facilities do exist they are often inadequate in both quality and quantity. Schools with poor water, sanitation and hygiene conditions, and intense levels of person-to-person contact, are high-risk environments for children and staff, and exacerbate children‟s particular susceptibility to environmental health hazards. Providing adequate levels of water supply, sanitation and hygiene in schools is of direct relevance to the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals of achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and reducing child mortality. Children are more exposed to pathogens in the environment because of poor or lack of sanitary habits. This is likely to be especially true of enteric pathogens, which are transmitted by the faecal oral route through water, soil and food. Most important is the immune system, the less developed the immune system in children could lead to more serious infections. The present study was undertaken to assess the hygiene and sanitation status in different pre-schools of East and Central Delhi. The study aimed at obtaining information about the general profile of the employees, handling food, their food handling practices, sanitation processes while preparing food and awareness about general hygiene. Thumb imprint of various food handlers were accounted for along with food contact and non -food contact surfaces. Thumb imprint of the fifteen food handlers and workers were collected during various stages of work from the five preschools. Since, hand hygiene is very critical and affects the quality of food; so hands both unwashed and washed with the available resources were accounted for and also during cooking and serving. The microbial load drastically reduced after the washing step. The results indicate that the personal hygiene needs to be reinforced in the handlers. The rinse method results showed majority of utensils were clean and not contributing to the microbial load although the exception was seen in case of school S2 where all the utensils carried a high microbial load. Among the utensils tested, the pressure cookers were found to be most contaminated which can be attributed to the fact that the gaskets and pressure whistle are not removed and cleaned. The swab data indicated a high level of contamination. After assessment, it was found that there was a strong need for educating the food handlers. Corrective actions were given which could help to fill up the existing lacunae in the prevailing situation by controlling the undesirable practices of the food service providers to ensure food safety. A leaflet was designed to act as a guideline for following correct food safety and hygienic practices in food service institutions.

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2010

This report presents the results of a study of the potential cost savings by improving operations and maintenance (O&M) practices at eight buildings of the State Capitol Complex, monitored by the LoanSTAR program. This report discusses the methodology of identifying the O&M improvements, and summarizes the potential savings of these measures.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2018

Dog-handler relationships can directly impact team success. Changing a dog's handler may therefore compromise detection performance. However, there are currently few studies which support this. This research explored the performance and behavioural impact of changing a dog's handler. Nine dogs trained at scent detection were accuracy tested with a familiar and unfamiliar handler. Both handlers were female with similar dog handling experience. The dogs were tested along brick lines containing target, non-target, and control samples. Testing was separated into four sessions, with each session having 36 samples. The dogs' accuracy scores were then calculated and testing footage behaviour coded. The dogs had significantly higher sensitivity ( = 0.045) and negative predictive value (NPV) ( = 0.041) scores when handled by the familiar handler. With the unfamiliar handler the dogs performed more stress-related behaviours, and were distracted for a higher proportion of time ( = ...

Occupational and environmental medicine, 2010

To identify potential risk factors for serum cholinesterase (BuChE) inhibition among agricultural pesticide handlers exposed to organophosphate (OP) and N-methyl-carbamate (CB) insecticides. We conducted a longitudinal study among 154 agricultural pesticide handlers who participated in the Washington State cholinesterase monitoring program in 2006 and 2007. BuChE inhibition was analysed in relation to reported exposures before and after adjustment for potential confounders using linear regression. ORs estimating the risk of BuChE depression (>20% from baseline) were also calculated for selected exposures based on unconditional logistic regression analyses. An overall decrease in mean BuChE activity was observed among study participants at the time of follow-up testing during the OP/CB spray season relative to pre-season baseline levels (mean decrease of 5.6%, p<0.001). Score for estimated cumulative exposure to OP/CB insecticides in the past 30 days was a significant predictor...

Current Science India, 2007

Senkhi is one of the important streams of the capital tow n, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, which caters to 70% of the water needs of the urban population. It also contributes 38% of the Icthyofauna of the state and also reported an addition of eight new species for the district, four for the state and one possible new species to science. The stream passes from Senkhi valley down to the semi-urban area and meets with the Chimpu stream at Chimpu The stream forms acontiguous water body with Pachin and Dikrong, and finally merges with the mighty Brahmaputra at Bedeti (Assam).