Avaliação da segurança alimentar na produção de quitosana com fibras de mamão e abacaxi

Abstract

Chitosan is a high molar mass polymer obtained from the partial deacetylation of chitin found in shellfish’s exoskeletum. It possesses some interesting features, such as:

sugar absortion, non-toxicity, ability to form resistant films, biodegradability, anti- microbian activity and cicatrization properties, which allow this substance to be used in

different areas. Chitosan has been studied for presenting several uses, acquiring, therefore, important industry interest. In order to this importance, some industries have been investing in chitosan finishing, possibilitating different ways of using it. However, there are no registers in literature about microbiological assessment concerning chitosan capsules, what does not allow to check its food security. Thus, this study intended to assess the food security regarding this production process, through physical-chemical analysis (moisture, pH and water activity) and microbiological tests (mesophilic bacterium, mold, yeast and total coliformes count) in chitosan - raw material -, in papaya and pineapple fibres, in before encapsulating product (chitosan with papaya and pineapple fibres) and encapsulated product (chitosan with papaya and pineapple fibres capsulated in gelatin capsules in plastic package, containing 120 capsules). The microbiological assessment included also the capsules and plastic packages, the equipments (encapsulator disk, funnel, platter and mixer) and the handlers gloves at the beginning and at the end of the process. Through the eight lots signed, chitosan - raw material – presented, as medium moisture, water activity, pH and cinder, respectively, 4,55%, 0,41, 8,83 and 1,10%. The results to papaya fiber and pineapple fiber were, respectively, 4,33%, 0,26, 5,11, 4,07% and 4,15%, 0,26, 4,24, 2,90%. The average obtained regarding to moisture, water activity, pH and cinder concerning the before encapsulating product and encapsulated product were, respectively, 3,20%, 0,36, 7,64, 1,65% and 3,98%, 0,36, 7,62, 1,40%. Regarding to all the microbiological analysis realized in chitosan – raw material – and in the inputs, the bacterian growth was ever < 10 UFC/g e < 10 UFC/bottle. The average obtained in mesophilic bacterium, mold and papaya and pineapple fibres yeast counting was, respectively, 2,51, 1,87 and 2,41, 2,29 UFC/g. The respective results to the before encapsulating product and encapsulated product were 1,86, 1,35, and 1,92, 1,15 UFC/g. The averages related to mesophilic bacterium counting in the encapsulator disk, funnel, platter and mixer were 1,65, 1,59, 1,54 and 1,72 UFC/cm2

. The respective results to mold and yeast were 1,59, 1,41, 1,49 and 1,11 UFC/cm2 . The mesophilic bacterium counting in the gloves of the handlers, at the beginning and at the end of the production process were, respectively, in average, 2,18 and 2,54 UFC/gloves. In all total coliformes analysis, the bacterian growth was ever < 10 UFC/g, < 10 UFC/bottle, < 10 UFC/cm2

and < 10 UFC/gloves. Based on these results, it was possible to conclude, in a concise way, that the pH low acidity and water low activity were limitant factors to the microbian developing in chitosan – raw material; that the inputs did not represent a contamination font to the encapsulated product; that the contaminations present in raw materials, before encapsulating product and encapsulated product were caused by the microbiota from the gloves themselves, equipments and handlers gloves, but there is no risk to consumers safety and the product analysed in this paper is safe.