ABSTRACT
The present study assessed the microbiological quality of pre-cooked and refrigera ted sea food marketed in Santa Catarina Island, Brazil. Forty-eight samples of crabs, mussels, shrimp and clams were purchase dat fish markets in Santa Catarina Island from June to September 2008. Microbiological analysis were conducted for total counts of psychrotrophic, coliforms at 45 °C, Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci and Salmonella spp. detecting. All of analyzed samples showed absenceof Salmonella spp. in 25g. Two (4.2 per cent) samples exceeded the counting limits of coliforms at 45 °C (one ofmussel and one of crab meat), and nine (18.75 per cent) samples (five of clams and four of crab meat) exceeded the limits for coagulase-positive staphylococci. The psychrotrophic counts were high in all products analyzed. Positive correlations were found between coliforms counting at 45 °C and Escherichia coli, but no correlation was found between Enterococcus spp. and coliforms at 45 °C or Escherichia coli. This study evidenced that about 20 per cent of the samples were not comply with the sanitary standards established by the Brazilian legislation.