Bacteriological quality and food safety in a Brazilian school food program.

INTRODUCTION: Food safety is a critical issue in school food program. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to assess the bacteriological quality and food safety practices of a municipal school food program (MSFP) in Jequitinhonha Valley, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A checklist based on good manufacturing practices (GMP) for food service was used to evaluate food safety practices. Samples from foods, food contact surfaces, the hands of food handlers, the water supply and the air were collected to assess bacteriological quality in establishments that comprise the MSFP. RESULTS: Nine (81.8%) establishments were classified as poor quality and two (18.2%) as medium quality. Neither Salmonella nor Listeria monocytogenes were detected in food samples. Coliforms, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were detected in 36 (52.9%), 1 (1.5%) and 22 (32.4%) of the food samples and in 24 (40.7%), 2 (3.3%) and 13 (22.0%) of the food contact surfaces, respectively. The counts of coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus ranged from 1 to 5.0 and 1 to 5.1 log CFU/g of food, respectively. The mean aerobic mesophilic bacteria count was 3.1 log CFU/100 cm2 of surface area. Coliforms, E. coli and S. aureus were detected on the hands of 33 (73.3%), 1 (2.2%) and 36 (80%) food handlers, respectively. With regard to air quality, all the establishments had an average aerobic mesophilic count above 1.6 log CFU/cm2/week. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the need to modify the GMP used in food service in MSFP in relation to food safety, particularly because children served in these establishments are often the most socially vulnerable.

Bacteriological quality of raw milk used for production of a Brazilian farmstead raw milk cheese.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the bacteriological quality of raw cow's milk utilized for the production of Traditional Minas Serro cheese, a Brazilian farmstead raw milk cheese. Raw milk samples were collected from six farmstead cheese operations manufacturing raw milk cheese from cow's milk. Coliform count (CC) and Escherichia coli counts were determined using Petrifilm™ EC plates, and Staphylococcus aureus counts were determined using Petrifilm™ Staph Express count plates. The standard plate count (SPC) was determined using plate count agar. The somatic cell count (SCC) was determined with a DeLaval cell counter. The detection of Listeria monocytogenes was based in the ISO 11290-1 protocol. A total of 165 samples were analyzed, and the SPC was 1.85-7.88 log CFU/mL. Coliform were detected in 140 (84.8%) of the 165 samples, with counts of 1-6.39 log CFU/mL. E. coli was detected in 17 (10.3%) samples, with counts of 1-2.18 log CFU/mL. The SCC in raw milk was 10,000-1,390,000 cells per mL, with mean and geometric mean values of 247,000 and 162,181, respectively. The SCC did not differ significantly between the seasons (p>0.05), but differed between different farms (p<0.05). None of the 155 samples were positive for the presence of Listeria monocytogenes. S. aureus was isolated in 145 (94.1%) of the 154 samples, and the count was 1.47-5.03 log CFU/mL. The median of SPC, CC, and S. aureus counts differed significantly between seasons and between farms (p<0.05). Our results indicate that raw milk for production of farmstead raw milk cheese has a low incidence of L. monocytogenes and a high incidence of S. aureus, and suggest that measurements (such as SCC or SPC) may not serve as a predictor of other bacterial (including pathogenic) presence.