Klebsiella species in hospital food and kitchens: a source of organisms in the bowel of patients.

Hospital food was examined for the presence of Klebsiella species. Salads and cold meat were most frequently contaminated, often containing more than 10(3) organisms per g. Klebsiella species were also widely distributed in the kitchen environment which was considered, at least in part, to be the source of the organisms in food. By the use of serological and bacteriocin typing, intestinal carriage of strains ingested in food could be demonstrated.