INFLUENCE OF WASHING AND HYGIENE ON CONTAMINATION BY TOTAL COLIFORMS IN CORIANDER SOLD IN SUPERMARKETS

Abstract

Vegetables presumably already have natural contamination, so the importance of controlling and/or remedying the proliferation of microorganisms through preventive actions such as the correct hygiene of these inputs must be taken into account. The Ceoriandrum sanywn L. popularly known as coriander has great nutritional importance, its fruits when dried are used in addition to the kitchen also in the pharmaceutical industry.  Total coliforms are present in the human gastrointestinal tract, their proliferation can be responsible for a variety of infections, in addition their presence in food can be indicative of low hygienic-sanitary quality, in addition to lack of hygiene and/or inadequate sanitation practices. Therefore, this research aimed to verify the influence of washing and sanitizing in the contamination by total coliforms in coriander sold in supermarkets. For evaluation, 3 samples of coriander were collected in 3 supermarkets located in the municipality of Mossoró/RN. The analysis of total coliforms was performed using the method of determination of the most probable number (MPN), accomplished from the application of the technique of multiple tubes. The presence of total coliforms was found in all samples of cilantro not sanitized and washed, no presence of total coliforms was detected in samples sanitized with sanitizer according to the recommendations. Therefore, the cleaning process following the recommendations of the World Health Organization is effective in the process of removing total coliforms in coriander leaves.

Key-words: Vegetables; Sanitization; microorganisms.