MICROBIAL EVALUATION OF READY-TO-EAT FOODS SERVED IN CANTEENS

AND CAFES OF AN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS FROM PORTUGAL

Soares, K.1*, Marques, C.1, Pena, L.1, Gonçalves. F.1, Pinto, A.L.1, Leite, A.1, García-Diez, J.1, Oliveira, I.2 & Saraiva, C1
1
Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, CECAV- UTAD, 5001-801 Vila Real
2
Departamento de Matemática, CM- UTAD, 5001-801 Vila Real
. *e-mail: crisarai@utad.pt

The goal of university food establishments is to produce healthy, varied
food with high quality and safety. Although various studies referred
that implementation of food safety systems based on HACCP principles
improved the safety meals, the occurrence of Foodborne diseases
(FBD) still be prevalent. Canteens and cafes are regularly associated to
the occurrence of FBD.
This study was carried out in food establishments (6 cafes and 5
canteens) from a university campus of Portugal in view to evaluate the
effect of season and food category in the microbial counts of ready-to-
eat meals. These were grouped in four categories: cold meals, hot
meals, pastries (fresh and salt) and salads, resulting in a total of 125
samples.
For the study of the microbiological quality of foodstuffs aseptic
harvesting and weighing 10 g of the sample were made, diluted into 90
ml of tryptone salt solution (0.3% tryptone and NaCl at 0.85%,
sterilized at 121 ° C for 15 minutes) and homogenized in device
"stomacher" for 90 seconds. Then, the seedlings were performed
either by incorporation or on the surface, in their respective culture
media. Microbiological analyzes were performed for Salmonella sp. (ISO
6579/2002), Listeria monocytogeneses (ISO 11290-1 / 1998) and
Staphylococcus aureus coagulase positive (ISO 6888-1 and 2/1999) and
the aerobic total counts (ISO 4833/1991), molds and yeasts (ISO
13681/1995), Enterobacteriaceae (ISO 5552/1997), Escherichia coli
(ISO 16649-2 / 1999) and Bacillus cereus (ISO 7932/1998).

Graph 1: Contribution of each microorganism for the three categories of microbiological quality
(Satisfactory, Acceptable and Unsatisfactory).

Through the graph 1 can analyze the microbial count found

in ready-to-eat foods, and found that the aerobic total
counts contributed 19.2% to the level of unsatisfactory,
followed by Enterobacteriaceae (9.6)% and Staphylococcus
aureus (5.6%).
These results are worrying due to the fact that the meals
be served in large quantities to thousands of students
every day, and the presence of Enterobacteriaceae and
aerobic total counts above the stipulated limits
demonstrates bad practices of hygiene and manufacture on
the part of food handlers and managers of establishments.
Even more serious is the presence of pathogens such as
Staphylococcus aureus, which was found in pastries, fish,
ham and pasta with cheese and salad, the levels ranged Table 1: Hygienic evaluation of foods ready-to-eat according for the three categories of
from 102 to 104 cfu/g, the latter considered unsatisfactory. microbiological quality (Satisfactory, Acceptable and Unsatisfactory).
We check the types of meals and found significant
differences in the group of hot meals (p = 0.026), and Type Foodstuff N of samples Satisfactory Acceptable Unsatisfactory

individually analyzing foodstuffs that make up the group

found that there are significant differences within the hot Cooked fish 10 3 4 3
meals, the pasta with cheese distinguishes itself with Cooked meat 11 6 5 0
higher counts to cook the meat aerobic total counts (p = Cooked rice 6 2 2 2
Pasta with 5 0 2 3
0:05) and soup (p = 00:04), and the soup is distinguished Hot meals
cheese
from cooked rice (p = 0.041) and cooked fish (p = 0.042). Nuggets and 5 2 2 1
patties
Through global satisfactoriness classification, we find that
Soup 6 4 2 0
there are differences by type of meal (p = 0.032), which Vegetarian meals 7 2 1 4
highlights the major unsatisfactory of aerobic total counts
in cold meals and salads (see Table 1). Cooked ham 12 1 4 7
You can also check significant differences between the Cold meals Patê with 19 1 10 8
mayonnais
type of establishment analysis (p = 0.034), the cafes
possessed higher microbial counts than the canteens. Pastries
Cake and pie 21 10 6 5
Salty pastel 7 0 5 2

Mixed salad 10 1 3 6
Salads
Other salad 6 1 4 1
Total 125 33 (26,4%) 50 (40%) 42 (36,6%)

It is considered that establishments under study, produce and put food on sale with high microbial load and total Enterobacteriaceae and the presence of S. aureus at
levels considered unsatisfactory (Santos et al., 2005) may pose a risk to the health of consumers, especially the production of staphylococcal enterotoxin.
It is necessary to improve some hygiene practices, as well as the preservation of food at appropriate temperatures after preparation / confection so far to serve.

Santos, M. I.; Correia, C.; Cunha, M. I.; Hail, M.; Novais, M. R. (2005). Values Guide for evaluation of microbiological quality and food ready to eat prepared in catering
establishments. Pharmacists' Association magazine, 64: 66-68pp.