Monitoring the temperature of refrigeration counters and beef sold in butcher shops in the city of Cametá in the state of Pará, Brazil / Monitoramento da temperatura de balcões de refrigeração e carnes bovinas comercializadas em açougues no município de Cametá no estado do Pará, Brasil

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.

Impact of isothermic and bithermic dilution on quality of chilled boar sperm

The use of bithermic dilution protocols is increasing in artificial insemination centres; therefore, it is necessary to guarantee that the quality of insemination doses remain the same when compared to isothermic dilution protocols. Four ejaculates from each of 19 crossbreed PIC® boars were collected and assigned, in a split sample design, in three treatments: two-step bithermic dilution two-step isothermic dilutionand one-step isothermic dilution. Temperature curves for the three treatments were recorded using a temperature sensor data logger. Semen doses were prepared with a BTS extender and stored at 16°C and then used to evaluate sperm parameters with the CASA system and sperm morphology for 120 h. The temperature in semen samples submitted to a two-step bithermic dilution reached 24.6ºC after 120 min, whereas one or two-step isothermic dilution samples reached 26.4ºC and 27.4ºC, respectively. Total motility, progressive motility and BCF were influenced (P < 0.05) by the storage time but not by the dilution procedure. Total and progressive motility decreased throughout the storage time (91.0 ± 0.91 to 81.5 ± 1.08% and 74.0 ± 2.48 to 60.4 ± 2.59% from 24 h to 120 h, for MOT and PROG, respectively) whereas BCF differed between 24 and 120 h (28.6 ± 0.76 and 27.3 ± 0.79 Hz). The following motility traits were not affected by the dilution procedure or by the time of storage: DAP, DCL, DSL, VAP, VCL, VSL, STR, LIN, WOB, and ALH. At 72 h of storage, sperm morphology was not different among treatments (P > 0.05), showing an overall mean of 9.2 ±0.4 total defects. In conclusion, the bithermic dilution makes the production of artificial insemination doses faster by taking less time to reach a temperature close to that of storage, without impairing semen quality.(AU)

Impact of isothermic and bithermic dilution on quality of chilled boar sperm

The use of bithermic dilution protocols is increasing in artificial insemination centres; therefore, it is necessary to guarantee that the quality of insemination doses remain the same when compared to isothermic dilution protocols. Four ejaculates from each of 19 crossbreed PIC® boars were collected and assigned, in a split sample design, in three treatments: two-step bithermic dilution two-step isothermic dilutionand one-step isothermic dilution. Temperature curves for the three treatments were recorded using a temperature sensor data logger. Semen doses were prepared with a BTS extender and stored at 16°C and then used to evaluate sperm parameters with the CASA system and sperm morphology for 120 h. The temperature in semen samples submitted to a two-step bithermic dilution reached 24.6ºC after 120 min, whereas one or two-step isothermic dilution samples reached 26.4ºC and 27.4ºC, respectively. Total motility, progressive motility and BCF were influenced (P 0.05), showing an overall mean of 9.2 ±0.4 total defects. In conclusion, the bithermic dilution makes the production of artificial insemination doses faster by taking less time to reach a temperature close to that of storage, without impairing semen quality.

Aerobic bacterial microflora of Broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) oral cavity and cloaca, originating from Parque Zoológico Arruda Câmara, Paraíba, Brazil

The objective of this study was to isolate and identify the aerobic bacterial microflora from the oral cavity mucosa and cloaca's samples, collected from Broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris), born and bred in captivity at Parque Zoológico Arruda Câmara, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. The most common bacteria were Staphylococcus sp. (14.74%), Corynebacterium sp. (13.68%), Escherichia coli (13.68%) and Shigella sp. (11.58%), and the less common were Citrobacter sp. (1.05%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (1.05%) and Salmonella sp. (1.05%).This emphasizes the importance of these microorganisms' participation in infectious processes (sepsis) and injuries caused by crocodilians.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo isolar e identificar a microflora bacteriana aeróbica presente na mucosa da cavidade oral e da cloaca de exemplares de jacarés-de-papo-amarelo (Caiman latirostris) nascidos e criados em cativeiro no Parque Zoológico Arruda Câmara, localizado na cidade de João Pessoa - PB. As bactérias mais freqüentes foram Staphylococcus sp. (14,74%), Corynebacterium sp.(13,68%), Escherichia coli (13,68%) e Shigella sp. (11,58%), e as menos prevalentes foram Citrobacter sp.(1,05%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (1,05%) e Salmonella sp. (1,05%). Ressalta-se a importância da participação desses microrganismos em processos infecciosos (septicemias) e em feridas provocadas por crocodilianos.