Presence of Major Bacterial Foodborne Pathogens in the Domestic Environment and Hygienic Status of Food Cleaning Utensils: A Narrative Review

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The review by Mataragka et al. is timely, important and well written. Although still somewhat superficial and missing some important issues, I think there is merit for publication after some serious revision. First of all, this is not a comprehensive (or systematic) review. So, please either remove the word 'comprehensive' in the title or make it more comprehensive, and state the selection criteria for the literature review and how it was selected/found. Which time- and geographical span is it limited to, and state any other limitation of the study. You may consult the PRISMA guidelines.

I am a little puzzled by the selection of species/genuses selected for this review. Please include also Bacillus sp. and pathogenic Vibrios, for example particular of interest to certain seaweed culinary traditions in Asia and now also a trend that is emerging globally. The selection in 'Other Bacterial Pathogens' may also seem random. Another omission is the viruses, considering norovirus and hepatitis A virus are responsible for roughly 20% and 2% of all foodborne illnesses in the world, respectively. These viruses are robust and can survive for surprisingly long time in the kitchen environment, and the infective dose is low. This also brings me back to the title. As it is now, the word 'Pathogens' must be replaced by 'Bacteria'.

Introduction L 42-52: You may also want to take advantage of the ANSES Datasheet of Foodborne Biological Hazards, EFSA & ECDC-The EU One Health 2019 Zoonoses Report, and annual RASFF reports. 

I compliment you on the focus on AMR. But in the Discussion I would appreciate a separate heading where you go more into detail about the kitchen environment as a reservoir for ARG and how trade, import, new eating customs and trends, changing geopolitical trading patterns etc. may influence on this and how to handle it. Please see e.g., Canica et al 2019, Trends Food Sci. Technol., 84:41-44, and Bergspica et al. 2020, EFSA J. vol. 18. 

Please also cite Giske et al. 2020, Procedia CIRP 91: 140-145, for cleaning brush performance and choice of surface material. Brushes with hard bristles may introduce the risk of cross contamination due to splashing of bacteria into the air. 

The review is also missing sections on 1) Consumer Education (programs) and tip for domestic kitchen use, 2) Risk Analysis, and 3) summarizing available Guidelines and legislations. This must be added prior to publication, and all other issues raised here need to be sorted out. 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer/Editor,

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Chieti 11 September 2025

            The Authors, while proposing interesting and current topics related to Major Bacterial Foodborne Pathogens in the Domestic Environment.    
The Authors wish to emphasize that foodborne diseases represent a major public health challenge worldwide.

I have indicated how to rewrite the abstract for greater clarity.

While interesting, the authors will find the recommended abstract below.

English writing must be fixed

 

            Major Revision

• Lines 11-34 Abstract recommended:

Ensuring optimal food hygiene is essential for food safety and preventing foodborne illnesses, although its importance is often overlooked in the home environment. Adequate good hygiene practices (GMP) in the home environment are as important as their implementation in any other food preparation environment, such as the food industry. The current Review includes research data on the prevalence and isolation of major foodborne pathogenic bacteria Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli pathotypes, Campylobacter spp. and currently too Helicobacter pylori from household kitchen equipment, as well as food-cleaning utensils used in the kitchen such as sponges, brushes, dishcloths, and towels. The most common pathogenic bacterium in the home is S. aureus, which can be transmitted orally, through direct contact with contaminated kitchen surfaces and/or cleaning utensils, or indirectly through the consumption of contaminated foods due to cross-contamination during food preparation (for example, portioning prepared meat on the same cutting board surface and with the same knife previously used to cut fresh leafy vegetables). Furthermore, research findings on the hygiene of food cleaning utensils demonstrate that (i) sponges have the highest microbial load compared to all other cleaning utensils, and (ii) brushes, on the other hand, are less polluted and safer for cleaning cutlery and kitchen utensils.

Dishcloths can contribute to cross-contamination because they are used for multiple purposes, drying hands and wiping/removing excess moisture from dishes simultaneously.

These emerging issues add complexity to foodborne risk management, linking household hygiene practices to broader antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.

• Introduction

Please add a short paragraph to the discussion about Helicobacter pylori, which has so far been found in some vegetables, meats, water and shellfish. It's vitally important to control cross-contamination for this bacterium!

• Lines 201-221

Add H. pylori

 

 

• Remake Tables 1 and 2

Add a Figure representing the possible cross-infection from food to kitchen utensils

• References

Add new References regarding H. pylori and the topic discussed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

English writing must be fixed

 

Author Response

Dear Reviewer/Editor,

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript is sufficiently improved

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

 

                                                                                                          Chieti 6 October 2025

            The Authors, have comprehensively amplified the interesting and timely topics related to Major Foodborne bacterial pathogens in the domestic environment, highlighting a global public health concern.

The work may be accepted for publication.