Evaluation of the microbiological analyses in foods from the Baixada Santista involved in foodborne diseases, Sao Paulo, Brazil, during 2000 - 2006

The Instituto Adolfo Lutz - Laboratory Regional of Santos analyzed food samples sent by the municipal health surveillance services of counties belong to the Baixada Santista area, with suspect of foodborne diseases from January of 2000 to June of 2006. Different types of foods were analyzed such as chicken and pork preparations, rice, beans, chicken, mashed potatoes, heart of palm preparations, raw sausage and pork leg, raw salted pie, candies (cake, mousse, mixes for cakes); fermented milks, pasteurized milk UHT, juices. Conventional methods were used, as recommended by Compendium of Methods for Microbiological Examination of Foods APHA, 1992 and by the Brazilian Ministry of Health legislation ANVISA RDC # 12, 2001. Of the 26 analyzed food samples, 18 (69,2%) were in accordance with the sanitary legislation and 8 (30,7%) were condened because of the presence of Salmonella sp isolated from a "mousse" with cream and chocolate cake; Staphylococcus aureus isolated from raw and cooked chicken products; faecal coliforms were isolated from chicken and heart of palm preparations, raw chicken and soggy chicken.