Hygienic-sanitary quality of ground beef

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sanitary quality of ground beef sold in supermarkets in the city of Uberlandia, MG. Thirty samples of 200 g each of ground beef purchased from 30 different supermarkets in the city of Uberlandia, MG were analyzed. The collected samples were packed in an isothermal box containing ice and sent to the Food Microbiology Laboratory of the IFTM- Campus Uberlandia, for the analysis. Coliforms at 45 degrees C were present in 96.6% and Salmonella spp. in 43.3% of the analyzed samples. E. coli was detected in 63.3% of the samples, however, in counts within the limit allowed by the current legislation. These results underscore the need to apply good manufacturing practices with effective hygiene and sanitation programs in these establishments and reinforce the importance of research of pathogenic microorganisms in food, especially in fresh meat, which in many cases are eaten raw or undercooked, becoming potential sources of risks to public health.