CARACTERÍSTICAS BACTERIOLÓGICAS DE OVOS LAVADOS E NÃO LAVADOS DE GRANJAS DE PRODUÇÃO COMERCIAL

Abstract

To assess the bacteriological quality of washed and unwashed eggs obtained in four commercial poultry farms located in the metropolitan area of Goiânia, Goias, Brazil was the purpose of this study. Farms 1 and 2 were considered as medium and small production capacity, respectively, and washed mechanically the eggs with heated water containing sanitizing while farms 3 and 4 produced unwashed eggs. The sample universe was made up of 576 eggs from farms 1 and 2, 288 obtained from the poultry facilities and other 288 collected in the classification hall, and 132 obtained in farms 3 and 4, half of this collected in the facilities and the other half in the classification hall. It was considered commercial eggs classified as large eggs from 30 to 40 weeks of age Dekalb White hens. The experimental design was a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement 2 x 2 (washing procedure x collection place) with three replicates and the experimental unit consisted of pool of six eggs. Counts of mesophilic and positive Staphylococcus coagulase and Most Probable Number (MPN) of total and fecal coliforms in shells and internal content of eggs and Salmonella spp. research in eggshells were made. Results of the counts were expressed as log CFU/g and “t” Student test (5%) adopted. Descriptive and frequency analysis was used to analyse MPN of total and faecal coliforms. Counts of mesophilic and positive Staphylococcus coagulase in eggshells of washed eggs in the classification hall of the farm 1 were lower (p KEY WORDS: Commercial eggs, egg washing, food safety, microbiological contamination.