Descontaminação microbiológica de esponjas de cozinha utilizadas em serviços de alimentação

Abstract

Modern life is making people eat at food services, due to the convenience and practicality. This scenario contributes to the expansion of these establishments and may be related to the increase of foodborne illness. This occurrence could be related to inappropriate practices in handling and preparation of food and to crosscontamination, which may involve kitchen sponges. Based on this, the aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological contamination of kitchen sponges used in food service in Itaqui, RS, and verify the effectiveness of a procedure to decontaminate. Sponges were collected in nine food services and new sponges replaced them. After a week of use, a new sampling was performed and parts of sponges were submitted to the procedure for decontaminating recommended by the manufacturer. Microbiological evaluations included total aerobic mesophilic counts, total and fecal coliforms, Staphylococcus sp., and presence of S. aureus. The quantification of aerobic mesophilic counts on new sponges (EN) ranged from 2.85 to 8.92 logCFU/mL. Quantification of total and fecal coliforms groups presented values between 0.48 to above 3.04 logNMP/mL. For Staphylococcus sp., counts were 2.65 logCFU/mL to over 3 logCFU/mL, demonstrating results positive for S. aureus in samples of establishment 1 and 8. Kitchen sponges EN collected of establishments 7 and 9 stood out with high counts in almost all indicators analyzed, while establishments 4 and 06 showed lower values. After decontamination by immersion in boiling water, significant reductions were observed in sponges from establishments 2, 4, 7 and 8, which ranged from 84,2% to 98%. From these results, it emphasizes the importance of the decontamination of sponges and their periodic replacement in food services. Besides this, the training for food handlers, the periodic verification of good practices and standard procedures, hygienic habits and appropriate food handling practices are essential for the food safety.