| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 561-1 | ||||
Resumo:Regular consumption of fresh vegetables is essential for a healthy diet. Since these products are subject to several sources of microbial contamination and often consumed raw, it is essential that they are disinfected. Chlorine-based products are frequently used by companies and food services for vegetable disinfection, but the formation of carcinogenic compounds during chlorination raises concerns. Consequently, the use of alternative products with potential bactericidal effects has gained attention. This study aimed to evaluate the
efficiency of non-chlorine products in reducing the microbial load of fresh vegetables through the enumeration of hygiene indicator microorganisms. The experiments were conducted with samples of arugula, collard greens, lettuce, and spinach.Each sample was divided into five
portions (25 g/each) submitted to different treatments: the first portion was not washed, the second was washed in running water and the other three were washed by immersion in water containing the non-chlorinated products [hydrogen peroxide (0.3%), acetic acid (0,2%) and lactic acid (0.5%)] for 15 min, followed by rinsing.Subsequently, each portion underwent enumeration of Enterobacteriaceae, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli.Simply washing under running water was found not to be effective in reducing the microbial load of vegetables (<0.3 log CFU/g). Of the three products tested, acetic acid caused the greatest reduction in Enterobacteriaceae counts (1.6 log CFU/g), followed by lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide (both
reduced 1.3 log CFU/g).Regarding total coliforms, lactic and acetic acids resulted in a reduction of 1.0 and 0.3 log MPN/g, respectively, while hydrogen peroxide had no effect. None of the samples were positive for E. coli.Out of the three products tested, the acids (acetic and lactic)
demonstrated better efficacy in reducing the microbial load compared to hydrogen peroxide.The reduction values achieved with the acids were comparable to those typically obtained with the use of chlorine (~2 logs), indicating their potential for practical application, and highlighting the importance of further studies in this area. Regardless of the product used, it is important to
disinfect fresh vegetables before consumption to ensure their microbiological quality and safety. Palavras-chave: chlorine, fresh produce, microbiological quality, washing-disinfection. Agência de fomento:FAPESP (#2013/07914-8). | |||||