Evauation of Sanitary Hygienic Practices in the Production of Açaí in the Bowl: Diagnosis and Intervention

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the nutritional and microbiological quality of ready-to-eat açai, the physical and functional conditions of establishments that market this product and to verify the presence of microorganisms at handlers’ hands and nostrils. Twenty-three establishments in the city of Goiânia–Goiás were evaluated and açaí samples were obtained in two steps: before and after the training of handlers about good manufacturing practices. A decrease in the counts of total coliforms (from 26.08% to 8.7% of samples), coagulase positive staphylococci (from 78.26% to 65.2% of samples) and aerobic mesophiles (from 100% to 73.91% of samples) was observed between steps. The presence of microorganisms at handlers’ hands and nostrils did not present statistical difference between the two steps. According to the applied checklist, six items showed reduced compliance. After the training of handlers, the microbiological contamination of açaí decreased, and the presence of E coli in handlers’ nostrils was no longer observed, which highlights the importance of training about the implementation Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure food sanitary quality.