| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 1303-1 | ||||
Resumo:Cronobacter spp. is a pathogenic microorganism capable of surviving adverse conditions in the environment. The microorganism has already been isolated in different categories of food, such as spices, fruits and vegetables, cereals, instant soups, and mainly dry mixtures. Studies carried out in milk powder factories and infant formula production have demonstrated the persistence of this microorganism in the environment. Currently in Brazil, the microorganism is evaluated as a mandatory requirement only in infant formulas. Whey powder and its derivatives have been used in different products as an ingredient to promote dairy flavor, applied in fillings, cake mixes, ice cream, sports nutrition, infant formulas, and formulas for immunosuppressed people. Knowing that whey in its different protein concentrations is used as the main ingredient of different ready- to-eat products, Cronobacter spp. can be considered a microorganism of great relevance for monitoring in the production chain. The aim of this study was to verify the presence of Cronobacter spp. in samples from a whey concentration and drying industry. Cronobacter spp. was evaluated from surface swabs of equipment and industry handlers carried out after the cleaning and sanitization process; final rinse water from the CIP process was sampled; and products such as raw material before the pasteurization process, pasteurized raw material, product concentrated by membrane technology and powder product were evaluated. All samples were processed using the Cronobacter spp. recommended by ISO. Genotypic confirmation for the genus Cronobacter was performed using the Molecular Detection System (MDS, 3M) method. A total of 270 samples obtained from the whey concentration and drying process, 32 samples were positive for Cronobacter spp. during the sample period (December 2022 to March 2023), representing 11.8% of positivity. Samples from swabs on the surface of equipment and handlers showed the highest number of positive samples (14.4%), followed by CIP water (11.1%) and products (10%). We concluded that Cronobacter spp. was present in different sort of samples and possible failures in the process of cleaning and sanitizing equipment and processing environments, as well as food handlers, can be classified as the main causes of these results. Future stages of this study, such as identification of species of isolates, antimicrobial susceptibility tests and resistance to chemical products (detergents and sanitizers), and the ability to form biofilms will allow characterizing the epidemiological profile of Cronobacter spp. in a concentration and drying industry. Palavras-chave: Cronobacter spp., Powder product, Industrial hygiene, Food safety, Dairy products Agência de fomento:Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq e Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES | |||||