Caracterização físico-química e química do fruto do juazeiro (Ziziphus joazeiro Mart) e avaliação da sua conservação por fermentação láctica

Considering the plant biodiversity in the Brazilian Northeast, whose components can be inserted into sustainable production systems, the jujube (Ziziphus joazeiro Mart.) emerges as to recovery of its fruit. The present study has as objective to characterize the fruit of the jujube under the physical, physicochemical and chemical approach and assess its conservation by spontaneous lactic fermentation under the influence of chloride, sodium, calcium and potassium. According to the legislation, vegetable acidified by fermentation that is subjected to lactic acid fermentation in order to achieve a final product pH less than or equal to 4.5. The results of the physical, chemical and physico-chemistry of ripe fruit jujube showed the potential of this species for agro-processing. The yield of edible portion (91.83%), soluble solids content (18,98º Brix), titratable acidity (0.14% citric acid), pH (5.30) and its composition, divided in moisture (79.01%), protein (2.01%), lipids (0.52%), carbohydrate (17.59%), fiber, ash (0.76%) and its minerals were consistent with the characteristic profile fruits, thus favoring the development of spontaneous lactic fermentation. The minimum pH and titratable acidity observed maximum in the fermentation process under the influence of mixtures of salts (NaCl and KCl NaCl2) values ranged from 3.4 to 3.7 and from 0.54 to 0.95 (% lactic acid), respectively. The profile of the lactic fermentation of fruit of jujube in brine, fermented microbiological quality and the result of analysis of primary sensory prepared preserved, the application of endorsed by the consumer sensory evaluation, more particularly, derived from fermented fruit preserved in the presence of chloride sodium, in accordance with the traditional techniques of lactic fermentation of vegetables. The results of sensory evaluation conducted with 100 consumers (tasters) revealed an acceptance rate equal to 78% of the preserve. Despite restrictions on the sensory acceptability of fermented under the influence of salts (KCl and CaCl2) substitutes sodium chloride, preserved these perspectives presented to balance the optimization of mixtures, health product safety and consumer awareness towards prefer a more healthy product with reduced sodium content.

Determinación de coliformes totales y E. Coli en muestras de lechuga expendidas en cuatro mercados de la ciudad de Cuenca

A nivel mundial, existe una tendencia hacia el mayor consumo de frutas y hortalizas, motivada por una creciente preocupación de adoptar una dieta más equilibrada. Sin embargo su imagen de alimentos sanos las excluyen de toda sospecha cuando existen problemas de salud debido a la ingestión de alimentos. El objetivo de la presente tesis fue determinar la presencia de coliformes totales y E. coli en lechugas variedad Iceberg que se expenden en cuatro mercados de la ciudad de Cuenca. Los resultados obtenidos sirvieron como aporte al Departamento de Higiene y Control de Mercados del Ilustre Municipio de Cuenca. Este estudio fue de tipo descriptivo longitudinal. Se analizó un total de 96 muestras por duplicado y se realizó la determinación de coliformes totales y Escherichiacoli, mediante la técnica de placas PetrifilmTM. El grado de contaminación de las lechugas fue tolerable ya que solo el 1% de las muestras estuvo contaminada con niveles no aceptables de coliformes totales y el 6,25% con niveles no aceptables de E. coli, según la Recopilación Internacional de Normas Microbiológicas de los Alimentos y Asimilados de Pablo Moragas y col. Además, no se encontró ninguna relación significativa entre el mercado y el lugar de producción con el grado de contaminación de las lechugas. A pesar de la baja prevalencia de contaminación encontrada, la presencia de indicadores de contaminación fecal sugiere que las lechugas podrían tener una inadecuada calidad microbiológica, representando una fuente de ETAs, si la contaminación no es controlada mediante buenas prácticas de higiene

Queijo minas padrão com reduzido teor de sódio: composição e caracterização sensorial

Sodium is an essential nutrient with important functions in the organism, however, its ingestion in excess may cause various health problems such as arterial hypertension, brain diseases, heart failure and chronic renal failure. In this context, the present study proposes to prepare Minas Padrão cheese with different contents of sodium with the objective of evaluating the effect of the addition of potassium chloride in sensory characteristics and hysicochemical properties, as well as in the proximal composition and in microbiological quality. The cheeses were elaborate in concentrations of 100% of NaCl (C), 80% of NaCl + 20% of KCl (T1), 60% of NaCl + 40% of KCl (T2), 40% of NaCl + 60% of KCl (T3) and 20% of NaCl + 80% of KCl (T4) and stored for 20 days at 10 ºC. The proximal composition and physicochemical was based on the determination of moisture content, fat, protein, ash, chloride, sodium, potassium, titratable acidity and pH of all treatments after 20 days of storage. The microbiological quality of the samples was monitored through the count of Total Coliforms and Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., mold and yeast in the first and fifteenth day of storage. The sensorial characterization was performed by the technique of Free Profile choice. The results showed that the replacement of sodium chloride by potassium in the Minas Padrão cheese in concentration higher than 40% presented significantly higher moisture contents. Cheese with a reduction greater than 60% of sodium obtained significantly effect in the titratable acidity, presenting higher values compared to the other treatments. The cheese with 20% of salt replacement did not differ statistically in relation to the control. When the proportion of substituent was increased, a significant reduction of the sodium content of up to 73% was observed. As the sodium was replaced by potassium in cheese, the potassium content increased significantly, stablishing a reduction of 82% in relation to the control. There was no effect to sodium substitution by potassium in fat, protein, ash and chlorides, as well as the pH values. The microbiological results were in accordance with the current legislation, therefore suitable to be eaten. According to the Free Profile Choice technique it was observed that the control C cheese (100% of NaCl) showed results very close to the other treatments, differing only in flavor attributes. The replacement of sodium by potassium in proportions of 20% contributed to a bitter taste detected by the tasters. Whereas, the appearance, flavor and texture attributes showed no significant differences compared to the Minas Padrão cheese.

Influência das etapas do processo de abate de suínos na prevalência de patógenos e níveis de microrganismos indicadores de qualidade e higiene

The pig slaughter process involve different steps that can influence the microbiological quality of carcasses. At this, the understanding of the slaughter process on the microbiological aspects is necessary for the implementation and evaluation of critical control points. The microbiological control of the slaughter process should involve the evaluation of pathogens prevalence and levels of quality and hygiene indicator microorganisms. This study aimed at investigating the influence of steps slaughter process on the microbiological levels of pig carcasses, and evaluate if there is correlation between pathogens (Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes) and indicators (aerobic mesophilic counts, total coliforms, Escherichia coli and Enterobacteriaceae) microorganisms. A high Salmonella soroprevalence in pigs were founded before the slaughter (57.49 %). While the Salmonella prevalence in carcasses at the initial stage of the slaughter was 26.67 % and in the final stage 1.11 %, L. monocytogenes was detected only in the final washing and cooling steps, with a prevalence of 21.11 and 8.89 %, respectively. The aerobic mesophilic counts, Enterobacteriaceae, total coliforms and E. coli levels in initial steps of slaughter process were 4.25 ± 0.37; 1.25 ± 0.38; 1.10 ± 0.35 and 0.86 ± 0.36, respectively. At the end of slaughter process the results were lower (ranging from 0.16 at 2.70 log CFU/cm2). The step that most reduced microbiological levels was the scalding. The dehairing was a critical step that led to a significant increase of microorganisms levels in the process (p < 0.05). The evisceration not proved to be a critical step on the increase of microbial levels, differently of the final washing, which showed significant increases (p < 0.05) over the levels of aerobic counts, total coliforms, E. coli and enterobacterias (0.30; 0.36; 0.27 and 0.42 log respectively) and Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes. The chilling contributes significantly to the reduction of microbiological levels of carcasses, bringing them to levels below the all process stages, with the exception of scalding. No correlation between the hygiene indicator microorganisms used and presence of Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes were obtained (p < 0.05). The results show that steps in the process are critical to the sanitary profile, which implies the need to implement actions in the process to reducing the microbiological levels.

Development of a long-life vacuum-packaged ready-to-eat meat product based on a traditional Portuguese seasoned meat

Carne do alguidar is a Portuguese traditional pork fried meat, usually manufactured for self-consumption purposes. This study developed a ready-to-eat (RTE) meat product, to meet today's consumers’ convenience, manufactured at the industrial scale evaluating its quality and shelf-life, assessing the effect of vacuum packaging and the use of an antioxidant (50 ppm BHT) to enhance oxidative stability. Physicochemical and microbiological parameters were assessed and a sensory analysis was performed. Interestingly, no significant differences were recorded between control (non-BHT) and antioxidant (BHT) samples. Microbiological counts remained at low levels throughout the storage period, ensuring the product’s required microbiological quality. At later storage stages, higher values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances arose and off flavours and aromas were perceived. Still, overall appreciation was not affected until 12 months storage and a significant depreciation was perceived only after 15 months. Fibrousness and rising of off flavours were negatively correlated with overall appreciation.

Desenvolvimento e caracterização do queijo Santo Giorno, típico do sudoeste do Paraná, produzido com leite cru e fermento endógeno

Two cheese formulations made from raw milk and endogenous yeasts with 30, 60 and 180 days of maturation in two dairy Paraná Southwest were studied to evaluate their quality through physical, physical-chemical, microbiological and sensorial characteristics, as one of the stages of development of a typical regional cheese. The production was accompanied from designing the flowchart processing, where the samples were collected to perform the analysis of proteins, lipids, moisture, ash, carbohydrates, total solids, fat in dry matter, calories; water activity, instrumental texture (hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, resiliency and chewiness), instrumental color (CIE Lab); microbiological quality was assessed searching for total and thermotolerant coliforms, coagulase positive staphylococci and Salmonella spp.; the acceptance related to sensory characteristics of color, appearance, flavor, texture, taste and purchase intent was evaluated through the structured hedonic scale. This research contributed information relevant to the production process, such as the realization of the viability in freeze-drying lactic acid bacteria yeast isolated from milk in the Southwestern Mesoregion of Parana and the results of the analysis of the cheese showed similarity between formulations, regarding the physical, physical-chemical characterization, moreover good microbiological quality, where the differences between samples of dairy products were not perceived by sensory panelists. Adjustments in standardization related to technological quality control is an extremely important factor for the success of dairy companies and small producers involved in the project and that they have the option of producing the Santo Giorno, a fine cheese, with the great advantage of adding features of region, with high standard of sanitary conditions and with great consumer acceptance of indicative.

Site n°5. The Pertuis Breton (Bay of Biscay) France

1.This report presents the results of a field study conducted in the ECASA test site nOS in the Pertuis Breton, France. The site is located on the Atlantic West coasts. It is open to the bay of Biscay, but is slightly protected against westerly winds. The bay has been exploited by intertidal mussels culture for centuries. 2. Within the bay, mussels (Mytilus edulis) are cultivated either by the traditional pole technique, around the bay or on longlines in the centre of the bay. The area occupied by these longline s represents 250 ha, and the resulting annual production is 1 000 tonnes of mussels. The average depth at mid tide is of 13.8 m. The sediment is sandy, with a small fraction of mud. 3. The site is subject to several regular monitoring through the local implementation of national networks aiming at protecting the environment and marine resources, on pollutants (RNO), microbiological quality of the waters (REMI), phytoplanktonic toxic species (REPHY) and growth and mortality of molluscs (REMORA). Benthic macrofauna was studied in 1976. 4. Five sampling sations were chosen along a line, starting under the longlines, and at distances of 50, 100, 200, and 400 metres from the area cultivated. A reference station was chosen in a different direction at 2300 metres of the cultivated area. Sampling methods are described in the text. _Sediments were sampled for different analyses: grain size, content in organic matter, total organic carbon and nitrogen, and phytic pigments (chlorophyll a and phaeopigments). Redox were measured in cores. The macrofauna living into the sediment was also sampled. The water column was sampled for physical (temperature, transparency) and chemical parametres, including oxygen content, salinity, organic matter, dissolved nitrogen forms, phosphates and silicates. Results from benthic macrofauna surveys indicate that there were no significant differences between the different stations and the reference station, all being classified as slightly disturbed. The bay is submitted to freshwater runoffs from two adjacent rivers. 7. The sediment is slightly modified by the culture of bivalves. Total organic carbon, total nitrogen, Eh values and pheopigments were significantly higher under the trestles than in any other stations. Other stations often did not differ from the reference station. 8. The effects of shellfish culture on the water column were. However, it was observed a small decrease of the food available to the molluscs near the rearing 9. The DEB model was able to describe and predict adequately the growth of oysters, both in the Baie des Veys and in the Loch Creran. The parametres for its use in other environment are given, but a tuning of one parametre should be performed with the help of authors. 10. Among the indicators and models for use in are as of intertidal bivalve culture, it is recommended to use the sediment quality index, TOC (Total Organic Carbon), redox and pheopigments, in surficial sediment, AMBI for the macrofauna, chlorophyll a contents and nitrogen forms in the water column, and models describing the carrying capacity, filtration rate of molluscs, and a DEB model to predict the growth of molluscs.

Evaluación fisicoquímica y microbiológica del agua potable de la planta potabilizadora del cantón Chordeleg

tratamiento debe ser evaluado y controlado periódicamente, para garantizar su calidad para el consumo humano. El objetivo principal del presente estudio fue evaluar mediante un estudio físico-químico y microbiológico el Sistema de Calidad y Tratamiento del Agua que se efectúa en la Planta Potabilizadora del cantón Chordeleg. Se realizó un estudio no experimental, de campo, descriptivo y de corte no longitudinal. Para el análisis físico-químico se evaluaron 176 muestras en las 8 semanas, realizando 1 muestreo al día. En cada muestreo se realizó el análisis de 11 muestras que corresponden: 2 muestra de agua cruda, 2 muestras de agua pre-filtrada, 6 muestras de agua filtrada y 1 muestra de agua tratada realizándose un total de 22 muestras a la semana, en los cuales se determinó los parámetros físico-químicos: temperatura, sólidos totales disueltos, turbiedad y color, pH, dureza, alcalinidad, hierro, sulfato, nitritos, nitratos y cloro libre residual; parámetros microbiológicos: Coliformes totales y fecales. Los resultados obtenidos en las pruebas realizadas, mediante el análisis estadístico demostraron que los parámetros fisicoquímicos cumplen con lo establecido en la norma INEN 1108-2014, mientras que en los parámetros microbiológicos se estableció que los Coliformes fecales se encuentran dentro del rango establecido por la norma INEN 1108-2014 y los Coliformes totales fuera de lo establecido por la OMS(ausencia).

Evaluación de la eficiencia del ozonificador en el tratamiento de agua utilizada para consumo humano en la fundación María Amor de la parroquia Sayausí

En la Fundación “María Amor” de la parroquia de Sayausí, se utiliza un equipo de ozonificación para el proceso de desinfección para obtener agua inocua. En este trabajo, se realizó la evaluación de la eficiencia del ozonificador cuya función es disminuir la carga bacteriana del agua, para lo cual se efectuó el análisis microbiológico de la misma, mediante la determinación de la presencia de coliformes totales y fecales que son empleados como parámetros indicadores de calidad sanitaria del agua. Para la evaluación de la eficiencia del ozonificador se determinó coliformes totales y fecales mediante el método del NMP (número más probable). Se analizaron64 muestras, tomadas en la Fundación María Amor, de las cuales 32 corresponden al agua entubada (antes de ser ozonificada) y 32 corresponden al agua ozonificada con este equipo, en ellas se procedió a realizar el análisis microbiológico mediante el método indicada, verificando el cumplimiento de los parámetros establecidos en la normativa ecuatoriana INEN 1108:2014 en cuanto a la calidad microbiológica del agua. Con los resultados obtenidos de la reducción de la carga microbiana se evaluó la eficiencia del equipo de ozonizaciónestablecido en la norma mexicana NOM-1809-SSA1-1998. En los resultados de los parámetros microbiológicos se realizó un análisis descriptivo y de varianza con un nivel de significancia del 5%, en el cual se determinó que los valores de eficiencia estaban por debajo de lo establecido para cumplir con un proceso de ozonificación eficiente.

Artisanal food productions of animal origin: exploring food safety in the age of Whole Genome Sequencing

The artisanal food chain is enriched by a wide diversity of local food productions with delightful organoleptic characteristics and valuable nutritional properties. Despite their increasing worldwide popularity and appeal, several food safety challenges are addressed in artisanal facilities context suffering from less standardized processing conditions. In such scenario, recent advances in molecular typing and genomic surveillance (e.g., Whole Genome Sequencing [WGS]) represent an unprecedent solution capable of inferring sources of contamination as well as contributing to food safety along the artisanal food continuum. The overall objective of this PhD thesis was to explore potential microbial hazards among different artisanal food productions of animal origins (dairy and meat-derived) typical of the food culture and heritage landscape belonging to Mediterranean countries. Three different studies were then carried out, specifically focussing on: 1) compare the seasonal variability of microbiological quality and potential occurrence of microbial hazards in two batches of Italian artisanal fermented dairy and meat productions; 2) Investigate genetic relationships as well as virulome and resistome of foodborne pathogens isolated within dairy and meat-derived productions located in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Morocco; 3) investigate the population structure, virulome, resistome and mobilome of Klebsiella spp. isolates collected from study 1, including an extended range of public sequences.

Assessment of microbiological air quality in hemato-oncology units and its relationship with the occurrence of invasive fungal infections: an integrative review

Worldwide aging of the human population has promoted an increase in the incidence of neoplasia, including hematological cancers, which render patients particularly vulnerable to invasive fungal infections. For this reason, air filtration in hemato-oncology units has been recommended. However, scarce literature has assessed the impact of microbiological air quality on the occurrence of fungal infections in this population. We performed an integrative review of studies in the MEDLINE database that were published between January 1980 and October 2012, using the following combinations of keywords: air × quality × HEPA, air × quality × hematology, and airborne fungal infections. The search yielded only 13 articles, suggesting that high-efficiency filtering of the ambient air in hemato-oncology units can prevent the incidence of invasive fungal infections. However, no randomized clinical trial was found to confirm this suggestion. Currently, there is no consensus about the maximum allowable count of fungi in the air, which complicates filtration monitoring, including filter maintenance and replacement, and needs to be addressed in future studies.

Effect of natural antimicrobials on microbiological and sensorial quality of fresh-cut cantaloupe melon

The effect of different natural antimicrobials on the microbiological and sensorial quality of fresh-cut Cantaloupe melons stored up to 10 days at 5°C was examined. Pieces of melon were washed for 1 min at 5ºC in water (control), vanillin (1000 mg/L and 2000 mg/L) or cinnamic acid (148.16 mg/L and 296.32 mg/L). Other antimicrobial treatments consisted of packaging the pieces of melon with an antimicrobial pad which contained cinnamic acid (148.16 mg/L and 296.32 mg/L). After 10 days of storage, significant differences among antimicrobials treatments and water treatment were found. In water treatment, the psychrotroph load was 3.63 ± 0.09 log cfu g-1 meanwhile on all antimicrobial treatments the values ranged from 3.04 ±0.13 log cfu g-1 to 3.28±0.1 log cfu g-1. Mesophilic growth in the control treatment averaged 6.79±0.06 log cfu g-1 meanwhile on antimicrobial treatments the counts were from 5.15±0.01 log cfu g-1 to 5.30±0.03 log cfu g-1. Total coliform levels were 7.8±0.1 log cfu g-1 when melon was washed in water, followed by washing with cinnamon (296.32 mg/L) at 6.5 log cfu g-1 and for the rest of the treatments were around 5.5 log cfu g-1. The treatments did not display differences among mould and yeast growth after 10 days of storage. The sensorial quality decreased throughout storage. However, at the end of storage, the scores ranged between 6.5 and 7, above the minimum level for marketability (level 5). Sensorial panelist noted a ‘sweet’ taste when vanillin was used as sanitizer. In all antimicrobial treatments, no relation was found between a higher dose and a higher microbial reduction. So, vanillin at 1000 mg/L in water or cinnamic acid at 148.16 mg/L provided in water dip or as a pad inside the trays could be optimal natural sanitizers to substitute the use of chlorine in fresh-cut products as Cantaloupe melon.

Fish quality assessment through the application of chemico-physical, sensory and microbiological analyses

The quality of fish products is indispensably linked to the freshness of the raw material modulated by appropriate manipulation and storage conditions, specially the storage temperature after catch. The purpose of the research presented in this thesis, which was largely conducted in the context of a research project funded by Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (MIPAAF), concerned the evaluation of the freshness of farmed and wild fish species, in relation to different storage conditions, under ice (0°C) or at refrigeration temperature (4°C). Several specimens of different species, bogue (Boops boops), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), sea bream (Sparus aurata) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), during storage, under the different temperature conditions adopted, have been examined. The assessed control parameters were physical (texture, through the use of a dynamometer; visual quality using a computer vision system (CVS)), chemical (through footprint metabolomics 1H-NMR) and sensory (Quality Index Method (QIM). Microbiological determinations were also carried out on the species of hake (Merluccius merluccius). In general obtained results confirmed that the temperature of manipulation/conservation is a key factor in maintaining fish freshness. NMR spectroscopy showed to be able to quantify and evaluate the kinetics for unselected compounds during fish degradation, even a posteriori. This can be suitable for the development of new parameters related to quality and freshness. The development of physical methods, particularly the image analysis performed by computer vision system (CVS), for the evaluation of fish degradation, is very promising. Among CVS parameters, skin colour, presence and distribution of gill mucus, and eye shape modification evidenced a high sensibility for the estimation of fish quality loss, as a function of the adopted storage conditions. Particularly the eye concavity index detected on fish eye showed a high positive correlation with total QIM score.

Chemical, biochemical and microbiological indicators to assess soil quality in temperate agro-ecosystems

Soil is a critically important component of the earth’s biosphere. Developing agricultural production systems able to conserve soil quality is essential to guarantee the current and future capacity of soil to provide goods and services. This study investigates the potential of microbial and biochemical parameters to be used as early and sensitive soil quality indicators. Their ability to differentiate plots under contrasting fertilization regimes is evaluated based also on their sensitivity to seasonal fluctuations of environmental conditions and on their relationship with soil chemical parameters. Further, the study addresses some of the critical methodological aspects of microplate-based fluorimetric enzyme assays, in order to optimize assay conditions and evaluate their suitability to be used as a toll to asses soil quality. The study was based on a long-term field experiment established in 1966 in the Po valley (Italy). The soil was cropped with maize (Z. mays L.) and winter wheat (T. aestivum L.) and received no organic fertilization, crop residue or manure, in combination with increasing levels of mineral N fertilizer. The soil microbiota responded to manure amendment increasing it biomass and activity and changing its community composition. Crop residue effect was much more limited. Mineral N fertilization stimulated crop residue mineralization, shifted microbial community composition and influenced N and P cycling enzyme activities. Seasonal fluctuations of environmental factors affected the soil microbiota. However microbial and biochemical parameters seasonality did not hamper the identification of fertilization-induced effects. Soil microbial community abundance, function and composition appeared to be strongly related to soil organic matter content and composition, confirming the close link existing between these soil quality indicators. Microplate-based fluorimetric enzyme assays showed potential to be used as fast and throughput toll to asses soil quality, but required proper optimization of the assay conditions for a precise estimation of enzymes maximum potential activity.