Microbiological and hygienic-sanitary quality of fresh chilled shrimps marketed in fish shops from Cananéia - SP

Abstract

In view of the increasing demand for fresh and frozen products, the quality and sanitary control of seafood must be rigorously and constantly monitored by the regulatory agencies. Shrimp are classified as a high added value food and have, between other difficulties important issues related to biological safety, in which the contamination risks, mainly by pathogenic bacteria, are often neglected. The quality and safety of fish can be estimated by researching several microbiological indicators, such as mesophilic, whose enumeration may provide an estimate of the general population of the present microorganisms, and generally high levels of contamination are associated to low quality of food. In this context it is also necessary to include the group of enteric bacteria, which represent a remarkable relevance for public health through its occurrence in the most varied foodstuffs. Because shrimp is a highly manipulated product, especially when marketed in bulk in the peeled form, it can lead to its contamination by pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, since this is a member of the human microbiota. Therefore, considering the fact that crustaceans are more sensitive to deterioration than other types of seafood, and that failures in conservation and handling procedures endanger the hygienic-sanitary quality of this food and consequently the health of consumers, the present study aims to analyze the quality of shrimps marketed in fish shops in the municipality of Cananeia, Southern coast of the São Paulo State, Brazil.