ABSTRACT
Meat is a very perishable product with a short shelf life, so the use of low temperatures is used to reduce the speed of chemical reactions, inhibit the growth of microorganisms, thus increasing the shelf life of this food. The objective of this work was to evaluate the temperature of fresh beef in refrigeration counters, and to monitor the temperature of this equipment in the butcher shop in the city of Cametá, Pará, Brazil, comparing it with the current legislation. In total, fifteen butcher shops were selected for this study, a skewer thermometer was used to measure the temperature of the meat, and a digital infrared thermometer was used for the counters. A statistical analysis was performed using Student's T test, using the average temperatures of the meats and the counters. It was found that among the temperatures, 23,33% of the meat samples (7/30) had their averages above the reference average (7°C), as well as the temperatures of the counters with 86,66% of the equipment (13/15), had an average temperature above the legal limit, which is 7°C. The study showed that the temperature of the counters and beef in the butchers were out of the quality standard, therefore a risk to consumer health, requiring stricter inspection and training of employees by public agencies.
A carne é um produto muito perecível com vida útil curta, assim o emprego de baixas temperaturas é utilizado para diminuir a velocidade das reações químicas, inibir o crescimento dos microrganismos, aumentado assim a da útil desse alimento. O objetivo deste trabalho, foi avaliar a temperatura de carnes bovinas in natura em balcões de refrigeração, e monitorar a temperatura destes equipamentos no comércio dos açougues no município de Cametá estado do Pará, Brasil, comparando com a legislação vigente. No total, quinze açougues foram selecionados para este estudo, na aferição da temperatura da carne foi utilizado um termômetro de espeto, e para os balcões, foi utilizado um termômetro digital infravermelho. Foi realizada uma análise estatística por meio do teste t de Student, utilizando as médias das temperaturas das carnes e dos balcões. Constatou-se que dentre as temperaturas, 23,33% das amostras de carne (7/30) estavam com suas médias acima da média referência (7°C), bem como as temperaturas dos balcões, com 86,66% dos equipamentos (13/15), estavam com a média da temperatura acima do permitido, pela legislação, que é de 7°C. O estudo demonstrou que a temperatura dos balcões e das carnes bovinas nos açougues, estavam fora do padrão de qualidade, portanto um risco a saúde do consumidor, sendo necessário uma fiscalização mais rigorosa e a capacitação de funcionários por parte dos órgãos públicos.
Subject(s)
Meat Industry/instrumentation , Cooled Foods , Red Meat/analysis , Brazil , Food Quality , Market SanitationABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to detect evidence of Toxoplasma gondii using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques in oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae) obtained from the southern coastal region of Bahia, Brazil. A total of 624 oysters were collected, and the gills and digestive glands were dissected. Each tissue sample was separated into pools containing tissues (of the same type) from three animals, leading to a total of 416 experimental samples for analysis (208 samples each from the gills and digestive glands). Molecular analysis using PCR-based detection of the T. gondii AF 146527 repetitive fragment yielded negative results for all samples. However, when nested-PCR was used for detection of the T. gondii SAG-1 gene, 17 samples were positive, with the gills being the tissue with maximal detection of the parasite. These positive results were confirmed by sample sequencing. It is therefore suggested that C. rhizophorae oysters are capable of filtering and retaining T. gondii oocysts in their tissue. This represents a risk to public health because they are traditionally ingested in natura.