No abstract

Linguiça is a highly popular and appreciated pork product in Brazil, frequently consumed undercooked. Aiming at collection of data for a future risk assessment, this study evaluated the prevalence and counts of Listeria monocytogenes in linguiça samples collected at retail level in Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. ISO methods were used for detection and enumeration of the pathogen (11290-1 and 11290-2, respectively). Isolates were submitted to Simplex-PCR for hlyA gene and those with biochemical features of L. monocytogenes and hlyA positive were serotyped using a Multiplex PCR. Ninety percent of the samples were positive for Listeria spp., and L. monocytogenes was detected in 42% of the samples, with counts below 10(2)CFU/g in all samples. A prevalence of uncommon serotypes 4a and 4c was observed.

No abstract

ResumoThe proportion between amount of vegetables immersed and volume of water used during the disinfection step of minimally processed vegetables (MPV) is a factor that can affect the efficacy of disinfection process and consequently the quality and safety of the final product. This study aimed at assessing the influence of proportion between amount of vegetables immersed and volume of water on inactivation of Salmonella during the disinfection step of minimally processed lettuce and carrot, mimicking practices employed by MPV processing plants in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Minimally processed lettuce or carrot (1 Kg) was spiked with Salmonella (6 log CFU/mL) through immersion in experimentally contaminated water (4 L at 25ºC) for 30 min, and then transferred to recipients containing water with organic chlorine (250 mg/L at 25ºC and pH 7.0). The volumes of water tested to disinfect 1 Kg of lettuce were 8, 16, 23 and 28 L, while for disinfection of 1 Kg of carrot were tested 1, 6 and 12 L of water. These values corresponded to the proportions employed by Brazilian processing plants during disinfection step of MPV. The disinfection of minimally processed lettuce caused a reduction of 1.8, 1.9, 1.9 and 2.0 log CFU/g 363