SANTOS, Marta Dolorosa Ferreira dos.
Abstract:
The species Apis mellifera L. is the main producer of honey commonly used for human use. Bee honey is a food product of great nutritional value, considered therapeutic, beneficial to health, and a complex biological compound. Some factors interfere in its quality, such as processing and storage. These may contribute to microbiological contaminations and the microbiological characteristics of honey are related to the quality and safety of this food. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of honey marketed in the city of Sousa-PB. Twenty - two samples of honey bee Apis mellifera collected in the city of Sousa / PB were analyzed. For analysis, plating was carried out in depth to count the presumptive colonies of Clostridium botulinum sulphite reducers; Coliforms at 35 °C Coliforms and 45 °C and Staphylococcus sp. [According to the results obtained, it was possible to observe that, before the honey samples analyzed for the detection of the present bacteria, Clostridium sulfite reductant (Crs) was the bacterium found in less quantity, representing 9.1% of the sample. Regarding the formal and non- formal sample analysis of honey, Clostridium sulfite reductant (Crs) was found in 22% of the formal sample and there was no record in the informal sample. There was contamination in 38.5% of the informal samples and 66.7% of the formal samples and presence of Staphylococcus (Statistical) bacteria in honey samples with a coat]. It is concluded, therefore, that honey beekeepers and merchants are not complying with the established regulations, so that they are not following the Good Manufacturing Practices recommendations in order to guarantee the quality of the honey produced and processed.
