Vinicius Cunha Barcellos

Serological and genetic diversity amongst Salmonella strains isolated in a salami processing line

Salmonella is one of the most important agents of foodborne disease in Brazil and in other countries, with meat and meat products being identified as important vehicles of salmonelosis. A total of 54 Salmonella strains isolated from a commercial salami processing line were first serotyped and then their antibiotic resistance and macro restriction profiles were determined. 11.1% of the strains showed resistance to 3 or more antibiotics with profile AmpCStxTe being the most frequent. PFGE generated 9 and 12 profiles with enzymes XbaI and SpeI, respectively. It was observed that different serotypes of Salmonella could be found in the different steps of the processing line. The genetic profile of the strains had low relationship indicating the genetic diversity of the tested strains.

Cleaning Conveyor Belts in the Chicken-Cutting Area of a Poultry Processing Plant with 45°C Water

Conveyor belts are widely used in food handling areas, especially in poultry processing plants. Because they are in direct contact with food and it is a requirement of the Brazilian health authority, conveyor belts are required to be continuously cleaned with hot water under pressure. The use of water in this procedure has been questioned based on the hypothesis that water may further disseminate microorganisms but not effectively reduce the organic material on the surface. Moreover, reducing the use of water in processing may contribute to a reduction in costs and emission of effluents. However, no consistent evidence in support of removing water during conveyor belt cleaning has been reported. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to compare the bacterial counts on conveyor belts that were or were not continuously cleaned with hot water under pressure. Superficial samples from conveyor belts (cleaned or not cleaned) were collected at three different times during operation (T1, after the preoperational cleaning [5 a.m.]; T2, after the first work shift [4 p.m.]; and T3, after the second work shift [1:30 a.m.]) in a poultry meat processing facility, and the samples were subjected to mesophilic and enterobacterial counts. For Enterobacteriaceae, no significant differences were observed between the conveyor belts, independent of the time of sampling or the cleaning process. No significant differences were observed between the counts of mesophilic bacteria at the distinct times of sampling on the conveyor belt that had not been subjected to continuous cleaning with water at 45°C. When comparing similar periods of sampling, no significant differences were observed between the mesophilic counts obtained from the conveyor belts that were or were not subjected to continuous cleaning with water at 45°C. Continuous cleaning with water did not significantly reduce microorganism counts, suggesting the possibility of discarding this procedure in chicken processing.

MICRORGANISMOS INDICADORES E Salmonella sp. EM SALAMES PRODUZIDOS E COMERCIALIZADOS NA REGIÃO OESTE DO PARANÁ

O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar microbiologicamente, salames produzidos e comercializados na regiao oeste do Parana, atraves da enumeracao de microrganismos indicadores e pesquisa de Salmonella sp. Trinta e quatro (n=34) amostras de salames industrializados foram adquiridas no municipio de Palotina, situado na regiao oeste do Parana, e submetidas a analise microbiologica para enumeracao de Staphylococcus coagulase positiva, coliformes totais (35 oC) e termotolerantes (45 oC) e pesquisa de Salmonella sp. Observou-se que 61,8% das amostras estavam contaminadas com Staphylococcus coagulase positiva alem do estabelecido na RDC 12, da ANVISA. Encontrou-se 5,9% das amostras contaminadas com coliformes termotolerantes e 5,9% das amostras contaminadas com Salmonella sp. Atraves da contaminacao observada no salame produzido e comercializado na regiao oeste do Parana, sugere-se mas condicoes de higiene no momento da fabricacao.

Absence of Trichinella infection in adult pigs slaughtered in Palmas, State of Paraná (Brazil), detected by modified artificial digestion assay

Samples of 2,490 adult pigs, slaughtered under federal inspection between May 2004 and February 2005 in the county of Palmas, State of Paraná, Brazil, were examined by pooled sample artificial digestion with magnetic stirrer assay for a survey of Trichinella spp. larvae. Animals originated from 53 counties in three states of southern Brazil. Test sensitivity was increased with modifications of the European standard for artificial digestion. In this survey, a 5-g sample of tongue and 5-g sample of diaphragm pillar were collected from each pig into a pool of 100 g (up to 10 animals for each assay). A 355-microm mesh sieve was used, but no larvae were detected in the pigs, indicating that trichinellosis does not occur in the examined stocks.