Surface Hygiene Evaluation Method in Food Trucks as an Important Factor in the Assessment of Microbiological Risks in Mobile Gastronomy.

Street food outlets are characterised by poor microbiological quality of the food and poor hygiene practices that pose a risk to consumer health. The aim of the study was to evaluate the hygiene of surfaces in food trucks (FT) using the reference method together with alternatives such as PetrifilmTM and the bioluminescence method. TVC, S. aureus, Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli, L. monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. were assessed. The material for the study consisted of swabs and prints taken from five surfaces (refrigeration, knife, cutting board, serving board, and working board) in 20 food trucks in Poland. In 13 food trucks, the visual assessment of hygiene was very good or good, but in 6 FTs, TVC was found to exceed log 3 CFU/100 cm2 on various surfaces. The assessment of surface hygiene using various methods in the food trucks did not demonstrate the substitutability of culture methods. PetrifilmTM tests were shown to be a convenient and reliable tool for the monitoring of mobile catering hygiene. No correlation was found between the subjective visual method and the measurement of adenosine 5-triphosphate. In order to reduce the risk of food infections caused by bacteria in food trucks, it is important to introduce detailed requirements for the hygiene practices used in food trucks, including techniques for monitoring the cleanliness of surfaces coming into contact with food, in particular cutting boards and work surfaces. Efforts should be focused on introducing mandatory, certified training for food truck personnel in the field of microbiological hazards, appropriate methods of hygienisation, and hygiene monitoring.

Avaliação da qualidade microbiológica de bebida láctea e creme de leite UAT por ATP-Bioluminescência / Evaluation of microbiological quality of UHT milk drink and UHT milk cream by ATP-Bioluminescence

Embora métodos tradicionais sejam utilizados na avaliação microbiológica de produtos UAT, metodologias rápidas, baseadas em ATP-Bioluminescência, têm sido desenvolvidas. Os resultados da aplicação dessa técnica em 54 amostras de bebida láctea UAT achocolatada e 12 de creme de leite UAT foram comparados com os resultados de métodos microbiológicos, utilizando-se diferentes meios de cultura e tempos de incubação das referidas amostras. A técnica de ATP-Bioluminescência foi aplicada por meio do sistema MLS, e os resultados foram expressos em unidades relativas de luz (RLU). Em todos os tempos de incubação - 48, 72 e 168 horas - , as amostras apresentaram contagens baixas de microrganismos mesófilos e psicrotróficos aeróbios quando analisadas em meio PCA, BHI, PetrifilmTM AC e por ATP-Bioluminescência (<150 RLU), demonstrando alta especificidade da técnica. Apenas uma amostra de creme de leite UAT apresentou contagem de mesófilos aeróbios acima do padrão estabelecido pela legislação brasileira (<100 UFC/mL) quando analisada em meio PCA (260 UFC/mL) e PetrifilmTM AC (108 UFC/mL), no tempo de 168 horas. Essa alta contagem de microrganismos mesófilos aeróbios também foi detectada pela técnica de ATP-Bioluminescência (416 RLU). Os resultados da técnica de ATP-Bioluminescência foram iguais aos resultados em meio PCA, BHI e PetrifilmTM AC.

Although traditional methods are used for the microbiological evaluation of UHT products, rapid methodologies based on ATP-Bioluminescence have been developed. The results of applying this technique in 54 samples of chocolate UHT milk drink and 12 of UHT milk cream were compared with the results of microbiological methods, using different culture media and incubation times for the referred samples. The ATP-Bioluminescence technique was applied through the MLS system and the results were expressed as relative light units (RLU). In all incubation times - 48, 72, and 168 hours - , the samples showed lower counts of mesophilic and psychrotrophic aerobic microorganisms when analyzed using PCA, BHI, PetrifilmTM AC and ATP-Bioluminescence (<150RLU), demonstrating the technique's high specificity. Only one sample of UHT milk cream showed a mesophilic aerobic count above the standard established by Brazilian legislation (<100CFU/mL) when analyzed in PCA (260 CFU/mL) and PetrifilmTM AC (108CFU/mL) at 168 hours. This high count of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms was also detected by the ATP-Bioluminescence (416 RLU) technique. The results of the ATP-Bioluminescence technique were equal to the results in PCA, BHI and PetrifilmTM AC.

Comparación de los métodos PetrifilmTM coliformes y Número Más Probable (NMP) para la determinación de coliformes fecales en muestras de queso blanco / Comparison study between the coliform PetrifilmTM and the Most Probable Number methods for the assessment of fecal coliforms in white cheese

Los coliformes fecales son un grupo importante de microorganismos indicadores de inocuidad en alimentos, constituido principalmente por Escherichia coli, el cual es considerado como indicador de contaminación reciente de origen fecal, por ello la importancia de investigar su presencia y determinar rápidamente el nivel poblacional en alimentos. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo comparar el método tradicional Número Más Probable (NMP) para la determinación de coliformes fecales, según Norma Venezolana Covenin Nº 1104-96 con el método de placas rehidratables PetrifilmTM 3M coliformes incubadas en baño de agua circulante (PBA) a 45 ± 0,2°C por 24 ± 2 horas y en estufa con aire circulante 44 ± 1°C por 24 ± 2 horas (PES) de acuerdo con lo recomendado por la Asociación Francesa de Normalización (AFNOR) y la Corporación 3M. Se analizaron un total de 42 muestras de queso blanco aplicando ambas metodologías, dispensando simultáneamente diluciones seriadas de las muestras. Para el análisis estadístico se realizó una correlación de muestras relacionadas (SPS versión 7,5), obteniéndose los siguientes resultados r = 0,952 entre NMP y PES y r = 0,944 entre NMP y PBA; lo que indica una buena correlación positiva entre ambas metodologías en sus diferentes modalidades para la determinación de coliformes fecales en muestras de queso blanco. Se concluye que las placas PetrifilmTM coliformes incubadas a la temperatura óptima de crecimiento de dichos microorganismos es un método alternativo, rápido y confiable para la determinación del nivel de coliformes fecales en queso blanco.

Fecal coliform belong to an important group of sanitary quality indicator microorganisms in food, mainly constituted for Escherichia coli, considerated as indicators of recent fecal contamination, that is why it is very important to investigate their presence and to detect their population in food rapidly. The objetive of this study was to compare the Most Probable Number (NPM) method for fecal coliform determination, according to Venezuelan standard COVENIN Nº 1104-96, with the coliform PetrifilmTM 3M TM plates, incubated in circulating thermostatically - controlled water bath (PBA) at 45 ± 0,2 ° C for 24 ± 2 hours and in a circulating air incubator at 44 ± 1° C for 24 ± 2 hours (PES), according to the recommendation of Association Francoise of Normalization, Paris (AFNOR) and 3M TM corporation. Forty-two white cheese samples were analyzed using both methods mentioned above. They were dispensed at the same time with decimal dilutions of the samples. Data generated were subjected to correlation of related samples (SPS 7.5 version) and the correlation coefficients (r) were obtained; r = 0.952 NMP and PES; r = 0.944 NMP and PBA. It is interesting to observe a good correlation between the methodologies in their different forms for fecal coliform determination in white cheese. Coliform PetrifilmTM plates incubated at the optimal temperature of coliform fecal culture represent a rapid alternative and reliable method for the assessment of fecal coliform population in white cheese.

Evaluation of Petrifilm™ method for enumerating aerobic bacteria in Crottin goat's cheese / Evaluación de PetrifilmTM para la enumeración de bacterias aerobias en queso de cabra Crottin

The PetrifilmTM Aerobic Count Plate (ACP) developed by 3M laboratories, is a ready-to-use culture medium system, useful for the enumeration of aerobic bacteria in food. PetrifilmTMwas compared with a standard method in several different food products with satisfactory results. However, many studies showed that bacterial counts in PetrifilmTM were significantly lower than those obtained with conventional methods in fermented food. The purpose of this study was to compare the PetrifilmTM method for enumerating aerobic bacteria with a conventional method (PCA) in Crottin goat's cheese. Thirty samples were used for the colony count. The mean count and standard deviation were 7.18 ± 1.17 log CFU g-1 on PCA and 7.11 ± 1.05 log CFU g-1 on PetrifilmTM. Analysis of variance revealed no significant differences between both methods (t = 1.33, P = 0.193). The Pearson correlation coefficient (0.971, P=0.0001) indicated a strong linear relationship between the PetrifilmTM and the standard method. The results showed that PetrifilmTM is suitable and a convenient alternative to this standard method for the enumeration of aerobic flora in goat soft cheese.

PetrifilmTM Aerobic Count Plate (ACP) desarrollado por 3M es un sistema listo para usar, empleado para el recuento de bacterias aerobias en alimentos. PetrifilmTMfue comparado con los métodos estándar en diferentes productos alimenticios con resultados satisfactorios. Sin embargo, en alimentos fermentados, algunos estudios mostraron que el recuento de bacterias aerobias en PetrifilmTM fue significativamente menor que aquellos obtenidos con los métodos convencionales (PCA). El propósito de este estudio fue comparar el método PetrifilmTM para el recuento de bacterias aerobias con un método convencional en queso de cabra Crottin. Se usaron 30 muestras para el recuento de colonias. Las medias y desviaciones estándar fueron 7,18 ± 1,17 log UFC g-1 en PCA y 7,11 ± 1,05 log UFC g-1 en PetrifilmTM. El análisis de varianza mostró que no había diferencia significativa entre ambos métodos (t = 1,33, P = 0,193). El coeficiente de correlación fue 0,971 ( P = 0,0001) indicando una fuerte correlación lineal. Los resultados muestran a PetrifilmTM como un método apropiado y una alternativa conveniente a los métodos estándar para la cuantificación de flora aeróbica en queso blando de cabra.