Perspectivas higiênico-sanitárias e avaliação da qualidade do pescado fresco comercializado pelo Mercado São Sebastião, Fortaleza

Abstract

The São Sebastião Market is an important tourist attraction in the capital of Ceará. In addition, it contributes to the local economy by selling a variety of products, including food items. However, it has been observed that the location has structural issues and improper food handling practices. These factors affect the quality of fish products, such as inadequate infrastructure, handlers not using PPE, and old, dirty utensils, which interfere with the organoleptic properties of the product, leading to the development of pathogens that can cause foodborne diseases (FBDs). This study aimed to analyze the hygienic and sanitary conditions of the market according to the RDC 275/2002 Checklist and assess the quality of the fish sold to consumers through sensory, microbiological, and physicochemical analyses of tilapia and mackerel samples acquired from three different stalls at the São Sebastião Market. The hygienic-sanitary analysis revealed a high number of non-conformities in categories such as infrastructure, integrated pest control, water supply, waste management, utensils, and documentation. Regarding the sensory analysis, the tilapia samples had quality indices (QIs) ranging from good to excellent freshness levels, while the mackerel showed regular QIs. In the evaluation of total heterotrophic bacteria counts, the tilapia and mackerel samples, respectively (3.88 to 5.06 CFU/g) and (3.30 to 5.91 CFU/g), demonstrated that the market needs to improve its fish handling practices. The physicochemical analyses for tilapia and mackerel showed the following values for pH (5.81 to 6.37; 6.20 to 6.44), TVB-N (17.64 to 27.44 mg N/100g of product; 25.76 to 27.44 mg N/100g of product), and TBARS (0; 0 to 0.486 mg/ 100 g), respectively. The results of this study confirmed that non-conformities related to infrastructure, sanitation, handlers, and utensils observed at the market, along with the lack of refrigeration and improper handling, compromised the quality of the fish sold. These findings demonstrate the need for the adoption of a good practices manual to prevent food contamination and thus avoid the transmission of FBDs to consumers.