Port Louis: Kitchen towels can be a source of harmful bacteria that cause food poisoning, according to a study led by an Indian-origin researcher which showed that factors like family size, type of diet and multiple usage can boost the growth of pathogens.

About 49 percent of the kitchen towels collected in the study had bacterial growth which increased in number with extended family, presence on children and increasing family size. The towels for multipurpose usage - wiping utensils, drying hands, holding hot utensils, wiping/cleaning surfaces - had a higher bacterial count than single-use towels and humid towels showed higher bacterial count than the dry ones.