Abstract The Food Truck segment has become a food option with quality and reduced cost. The objective of the present work was to analyze the hygienic-sanitary quality of street foods sold in food trucks and to propose essential operational requirements for the control of hazards associated with this food sector. The cross-sectional descriptive study model was used with the application of a questionnaire to verify the hygienic-sanitary conditions of the food handlers of the trucks in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a checklist to evaluate the structural conditions and compliance with the standards provided for in legislation. Among the handlers, 60% did not wash their hands properly, 62.9% did not have a training course and 18% of the trucks did not have a sink with potable water. Non-conformities were also observed at the points of sale, mainly due to the absence of an exhaust system and protection gutter for lamps. Thus, a proposal of essential operational requirements for food trucks was elaborated. There is a clear need to recognize this segment as an integral part of the commercialization of street food, proposing a specific control, increasing inspection, and use of a training program.

A contagem de aeróbios mesófilos ou contagem padrão em placas em um produto alimentício reflete a qualidade da matéria-prima, bem como as condições de processamento, manuseio e estocagem. O método de contagem em placas tradicionais requer 48h de incubação para a posterior leitura dos resultados. Comparou-se dois métodos que parecem ser uma boa alternativa para a contagem padrão em placas: SimplateR TPC-CI e PetrifilmR AC. Também avaliou-se a capacidade inibitória do 2, 3, 5 cloreto de trifeniltetrazólio quando adicionado ao Agar Plate Count. Este corante é incolor na forma oxidada e vermelho quando reduzido pelos microrganismos, devido à formação de formazano. O coe-ficiente de correlação obtido, através de estudos conduzidos com 60 amostras de sorvetes, entre 0,866-0,979 indicou uma equivalente sensibilidade dos métodos testados. Somente a contagem padrão em placas com TTC diferiu signicativamente da contagem padrão em placas.

The mesophilic aerobic plate count or standard plate count (SPC) of fresh food product reflects conditions of raw product quality, processing, handling and storage. Current standard methods require a 48h incubation period to obtain the results. Two rapid alterantive methods: SimplateTM TPC-CI and PetrifilmTM Aerobic Count (AC) Plate were compared to standard methods. Also, we evaluated the inhibitory effect of 2, 3, 5 triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) when added to Plate Count Agar. This dye is colorless in the oxidized form and red when reduced by microorganisms, due to the formation of formazan. Sixty ice cream samples were used in this study to obtain correlation coefficients, which ranged from 0.866-0.979, indicating equivalent sensitivities to existing methods. Only plate count with TTC differed significantly from the standard plate count.