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ASSESSMENT OF THE MICROBIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INDUSTRIALLY PRODUCED ALHEIRA , WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO FOODBORNE PATHOGENS

2008; Wiley; Volume: 28; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1745-4565.2007.00097.x

1745-4565

Alexandra Esteves, Luís Patarata, Cristina Saraiva, C. Martins,

Probiotics and Fermented Foods

ABSTRACT Alheiras is a traditional Portuguese meat product, typically from the north of the country. To investigate on some of the microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of industrially produced alheira, samples from four factories and six production batches were analyzed. The microbiological status of the analyzed samples can be considered a matter of concern in terms of food safety. Considering the microbiological counts and the pathogen occurrence rate, it can be inferred that most of the alheira samples were produced under substandard hygienic conditions. Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens and Salmonella spp. were prevalent in 50, 25 and 12.5% of the samples, respectively. Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Yersinia enterocolitica were present in smaller numbers. Escherichia coli O157:H7 and enteropathogenic Campylobacter were not detected. The source factory was a determining factor in terms of microbiological characteristics and pathogen occurrence levels. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Given the significant economic importance of alheira (a traditional Portuguese sausage) to a number of small domestic and industrial producers, particularly in the north of Portugal, this study can be used to help implement strategies designed to enhance the product's microbiological quality. This would therefore have positive knock‐on effects on the region's economy and community as a whole. The next logical step would be to carry out a systematic analysis of contamination patterns along alheira production lines, which should enable the introduction of more specific and effective methods of ensuring product safety in the face of common microbiological hazards. There also appears to be an urgent need for the establishment of a thorough technical and scientific monitoring program across the industry. This would include testing the technological procedures involved in the production process, and would clearly lead to a significant improvement in this product's microbiological profile.