ABSTRACT
Meat is an excellent medium for the growth of microorganisms and it can be responsible for the transmission of pathogenic bacteria to human. The aim of this work was to analyze the sanitary-hygienic quality of ground beef and fresh sausages commercialized in southern Brazil and to evaluate the resistance profile of Salmonella isolates to antimicrobial agents. The methods used in the thermotolerant coliforms counting and in the Salmonella isolation were according to Instrução Normativa nº 62/2003 from Brazil’s Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento. The Salmonella isolates were tested in regard to susceptibility to ampicilin (10 mcg), norfloxacin (10 mcg), tetracycline (30 mcg), nalidixic acid (30 mcg) and chloramphenicol (30 mcg) antimicrobials. From 67 samples analized, 12 were not within the limits established by the current legislation to thermotolerant coliforms and Salmonella. Salmonella Typhimurium was isolated from 1 (4.2%) sample of ground beef. Salmonella serotypes Typhimurium and Infantis were isolated from 2 (9.5%) samples of pork meat sausages, and serotypes Typhimurium, Infantis, Derby from 3 (13.6%) samples of poultry sausages. The 6 (100%) isolates were sensitive to norfloxacina and ampicilina. Three (50%) isolates were sensitive to tetracycline, 3 (50%) to chloramphenicol and 2 (33.3%) to nalidixic acid. The results highlight the importance of meat products from swine, cattle and chicken as sources of Salmonella contamination.
KEY WORDS
Ground beef; fresh sausages;
Salmonella
; antimicrobial sensitivity; thermotolerant coliforms