ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.

Sec. Food Microbiology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1551446

Comprehensive Risk Assessment and Control Measures in the Food Service Chain of Hospitals Nutrition Department: A Case Study in Al-Ahsa Governorate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Provisionally accepted
Muhammad MunirMuhammad Munir1*Farag Ali SalehFarag Ali Saleh1*Mutlag Mohammad Al OtaibiMutlag Mohammad Al Otaibi1Sahar KamelSahar Kamel1Omar Mohammed AlsaifOmar Mohammed Alsaif2Hisham MohamedHisham Mohamed1Ab- Dulaziz Ali AlqahtaniAb- Dulaziz Ali Alqahtani3Malak Abdullah AldabalMalak Abdullah Aldabal3
  • 1King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
  • 2Dammam Food Laboratory,, Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 3Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (Saudi Arabia), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Ensuring hospital food safety is vital for patient health, infection control, and public trust. This study evaluated food exposure risks in two hospitals in Al-Ahsa Governorate, Saudi Arabia, focusing on critical control points during food processing and delivery. The microbial analysis detected specific pathogens in food samples, including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, along with the presence of yeasts and molds, which are commonly found in food. These findings highlight the need for targeted food safety measures to prevent contamination. Total bacterial counts (TBC) ranged from 2.5 to 5.0 log cfu/g in raw meat, chicken, and fish, while prepared meals had lower TBCs of 1.0 to 3.0 log cfu/g. No Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes were found, indicating effective pathogen control. Chemical hazards included mycotoxins in white flour and heavy metals within permissible limits. However, twelve pesticides were detected, with six exceeding the European Food Safety Organization's limits. Temperature monitoring revealed that hot foods often cooled to unsafe levels during transport, and cold samples were not consistently kept at SFDA-recommended temperatures. No significant physical hazards were found. Hospitals typically comply with health regulations; however, improvements are needed in temperature control during meal transport and in preventing chemical contamination of raw materials. Ongoing monitoring is crucial to improve food safety and safeguard vulnerable patients.

Keywords: Hospital nutrition, Food service chain, Food Safety, Quality Assurance, Healthcare facilities, Hygiene practices, Critical Control Points, Hazard analysis

Received: 25 Dec 2024; Accepted: 28 Apr 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Munir, Saleh, Al Otaibi, Kamel, Alsaif, Mohamed, Alqahtani and Aldabal. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence:
Muhammad Munir, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
Farag Ali Saleh, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material