Avaliação da eficiência antimicrobiana das soluções sanitizantes usadas na higienização de um entreposto de pescado.

Abstract

The AOAC use-dilution method (UDM) and suspension method are officially accepted in Brazil for the evaluation of the antibacterial efficiency of disinfectants when applying for product registration. The purpose of this study was to determine the antibacterial efficiency of solutions of sodium hypochlorite at 5, 100 and 200mg/L and benzalkonium chloride at 77 and 10,000mg/L, and to evaluate the procedures employed to disinfect raw material (lobster tails) and the hands and boots of handlers at a seafood processing facility in Fortaleza city. The disinfectants were tested with UDM (INCQS/POP No65.3210.007) using standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Choleraesuis and Escherichia coli, and with the suspension method (AOAC 960.09) using S. aureus and E. coli. The hygienization procedures for hands, boots and raw material were evaluated by decimal reduction (DR) of aerobic mesophiles in samples collected during processing. The bacteria were quantified by standard plate count (pour platefor hands and boots; spread plate for tails) in Tryptone Glucose Extract agar, and results were expressed as CFU/hand, CFU/cm2 and CFU/tail. The sodium hypochlorite solutions failed the UDM test at all concentrations, but were approved (DR >5) in the suspension test for at least one repetition. The benzalkonium chloride solutions were approved with both methods, with the best performance observed for the suspension method (DR >5log) at 10.000 mg/L. DR values were <0.8 (hands), <0.6 (boots) and <0.6 (tails). The two methods (UDM and Suspension) were in partial agreement regarding the approval of solutions, but the latter method yielded a greater number of approvals. Due to differences in the initial bacterial load, the hygienization procedures were efficient for hands and lobster tails but inefficient for boots. DR values were significantly higher for standard strains (S. aureus and E. coli) tested with the suspension method using sodium hypochlorite and benzalkonium chloride than for aerobic mesophiles following the hygienization of hands, boots and lobster tails sampled at the seafood processing facility.