Avaliação da qualidade higiênico-sanitária e boas práticas de fabricação em açougue no municipio de Pombal-PB.

Abstract

Quality control and food safety are factors that are increasingly required by companies that handle food well, as well as by their more informed and demanding consumers regarding the quality of the food consumed. Therefore, food handling sectors must comply with current legislation regarding quality parameters. To meet and put into practice the requirements of legislation, there are quality control tools, such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Environments that apply GMP guarantee the quality and safety of products, preventing contamination and errors in production, however, the absence of GMP can result in unsafe products, risks to consumer health and economic losses. Given this, the objective was to apply training and quality control tools in a butcher shop located in the city of Pombal PB. Quality tools (checklist) were applied to identify the establishment's conformities and non-conformities, and prepare an action plan (training, and posters) aiming to solve the problems found. During the work, microbiological collections were carried out to assess the hygienic- sanitary condition. After implementing the activities, the general assessment of the establishment showed 73.4% compliance, representing an increase of 42.2% in relation to the initial assessment. Microbiological analyzes detected a bacterial load higher than the recommended limit in the external area, production area and on the hands of handlers. After cleaning, substantial reductions in the bacterial load on table and bench surfaces were observed. These results show that the implementation of training, checklists and provision of informative materials are alternatives to guarantee good quality in the food producing establishment. These practices need to be constantly monitored and evaluated to avoid contamination and damage to the quality of the food produced.