London - Feeling a bit queasy after that sumptuous buffet? It may be the chef's fingernails.
US researchers have found that long fingernails on chefs, bakers and others who work with food could be a health hazard because they harbour 90 percent of the bacteria that accumulates on hands.
A study at the University of Georgia found that even vigorous washing does not remove all the bacteria under long or artificial nails, the New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.
"Next time you go to a restaurant it might be worth inspecting the chef's fingernails before you eat," the magazine said.
Michael Doyle, who led the research team, said volunteers who had E.coli contaminated beef pushed under their fingernails could not remove all the germs, even with a nailbrush.
He called for regulations requiring food and health workers to keep their fingernails short.