Qualidade higiênico-sanitária de alfaces (Lactuca sativa) comercializadas em feiras livres no sertão da Paraíba.

Abstract

The consumption of fresh food has increased, as people seek to maintain a healthier diet every day. Among these foods, lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is considered the most consumed hardwood crop in Brazil and in the world. In spite of several nutritional attributes, this food can be a carrier of several microorganisms such as thermotolerant coliforms, E. coli and Salmonella, which are potentially pathogenic to man, as well as parasitic structures, some of which cause zoonoses. In this perspective, the objective of the study was to verify the sanitary hygienic quality of lettuces sold in open fairs in the Sertão of Paraíba, through the performance of microbiological and parasitological analyzes. The analyzes were performed following the Standard Methodsn (Silva et al., 2007). For the parasitological examinations the techniques described by Hoffmann (1934) and Willis - Mollay (1921) were used. It was possible to verify that 79.2% of the samples of the two productive units presented in levels considered unsatisfactory for thermotolerant, in addition to the presence of E. coli in one of the samples, being in disagreement with RDC nº 12 of January 2, 2001 of the National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance - (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária) ANVISA. Regarding the parasitological examination, a structure compatible with protozoan oocyst was observed in one of the productive units through the spontaneous sedimentation technique. The current legislation establishes the absence of parasites and larvae as standard. In view of this, these foods play an important role in relation to public health problems and there is a need for measures to prevent contamination, thus reducing the risks related to the occurrence of food-borne diseases.