Resumo
The food consumption outside home boundary has been increasing in Brazil, which is a risk factor for product quality and consumers health.. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of foods served in the balconies of self-service restaurants in the Praia Grande city, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, in 2006 year. 154 samples were collected by the Sanitary Vigilance of that city, such as water, frying oil, crude salad and cooked mayonnaise salad. The analyses in the water were odor, color, turbidity, pH, fluoride, free residual chlorine and total residual chlorine. In frying oils, acidity, polar compounds, temperature and oil test were investigate. In the crude salad was analyzed microscopically, and finally in the cooked mayonnaise salad was done sensorial analyses and macroscopic. All samples were analyzed in Adolfo Lutz Institute Regional Laboratory of Santos city. The results had demonstrated that 52% of the water samples were inappropriate, specially fluoride parameter; in oils 25% were inappropriate, in the crude salad was 90% of approval and in the cooked mayonnaise salad 100% of the samples had been approved. These results demonstrate the importance of a good food practices and manipulation in restaurants and the importance of an intensive plan to guarantee the quality control of the preparations commercialized in self-service and the security of the f
O consumo de alimentos fora do domicílio vem aumentando no Brasil, podendo expor a riscos sua qualidade e a saúde dos consumidores. Assim, este trabalho avaliou a qualidade físico-química dos alimentos servidos nos balcões de restaurantes self-service no município de Praia Grande/SP, em 2006. Foram coletadas 154amostras de alimentos, compreendendo água, óleo de fritura, salada crua e salada de maionese. As análises realizadas nas amostras de água foram odor, cor aparente, turbidez, pH, fluoreto, cloro residual livre e cloro residual total. Nos óleos foram analisados em laboratório a acidez e os compostos polares e, no momento da coleta, a temperatura e a prova denominada oil test. Nas saladas cruas foram realizadas análises microscópicas e, nas de maionese, análises sensoriais e macroscópicas. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que 52% das amostras de água foram reprovadas, principalmente pelo parâmetro fluoreto; nos óleos foram25% de reprovação; já nas saladas cruas foi de 90% de aprovação e nas saladas de maionese 100% foram aprovadas. Esses resultados demonstram a importância das boas práticas de fabricação e manipulação em unidades de alimentação e que o monitoramento das preparações comercializadas em restaurantes self-service é de fundamental importância para garantir a seguridade do alimento fornecido ao consumidor.