Innocuousness Of Sandwiches Sold On The Streets Of Cuiaba - MT, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: This article discusses the problem involving the street food commerce and its sanitary conditions, aiming at the food safety as part of food security and promotion of human right to healthy eating. It was analyzed the effectiveness of an educational intervention on Good Manufacture Practices carried out with food street vendors. The sandwich, known as the “baguncinha”, was sold in the city of Cuiaba/ MT/Brazil, in 2005. Methods: It is a cross-sectional study with a test group case. Before the training intervention, 105 sandwiches were tested by standard methods regarding heat-stable coliform counts; identification of Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus; and incidence of Salmonella spp. One hundred eighty new samples were analyzed one and six months after the training program, totaling 285 sandwiches. Results: A total of 31.4% commercial premises were considered unsuitable for food consumption. The training program applied in this study does not seem to have altered the microbiological quality of sandwiches. Conclusions: This scenario can contribute to a high risk associated with foodborne illnesses. The results suggest the necessity of a review to identify approaches and methods that bring about effective changes in street food commerce. Interventions should be associated with actions for hygiene-awareness of the consumers. Furthermore, a debate on the importance of regulatory public policies is recommended.