Microbiological analysis of the foods involved in foodborne disease outbreaks occurred in the Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

Abstract

The foodborne diseases are a great public health problem, both in Brazil and in other countries, being responsible for high economic and social costs. This paper analyzed the characteristics of the foodborne disease outbreaks investigated in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, in the years 2006 and 2007, mainly focusing on the microbiological analysis of the foods involved in the outbreaks. The analytical methods adopted followed the Compendium of methods for the microbiological examination of foods - APHA. One hundred and eighty-six outbreaks were investigated, of which 104 (56%) had samples contaminated with the microorganisms studied. Considering the samples with contaminations higher than 1,0 x 10³ CFU/g or MPN/g (or presence/25g, in the case of Salmonella spp.), the main microorganisms identified were Salmonella spp. (37%), Positive coagulase staphylococci (28%) and Escherichia coli (22%). Bacillus cereus and Sulfite reducing clostridia were also identified, but with less frequency. The main foods involved in the outbreaks investigated were meat products (36%), prepared meals (20%) and salads (15%). Private homes were the principal place of occurrence of the outbreaks (43%), followed by commercial food establishments (18%) and industrial restaurants (14%). The results of this study demonstrate the necessity of guiding and educating the population concerning the care needed in the storage, handling and consumption of food, the good manufacturing practices and the risks associated with the contaminated foods.