Contagem de bactérias lácticas em leite fermentado comercializado em diferentes supermercados no município de Cruz das Almas - Bahia

Abstract

According to the Normative Instruction No. 46 of the Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Supply that deals with the Technical Regulation on the Identity and Quality of Fermented Milks, "Fermented Milks are products added or not of other food substances obtained by coagulation and decrease of pH Of milk, or reconstituted, whether or not added to other dairy products, by lactic fermentation through the action of specific micro-organisms. In recent years, consumers have been concerned not only with the nutritional quality of food, but also with the care of these products. In this sense, it is necessary that these foods meet the properties recommended in the labeling that leads to the benefit of the individual. This concern is based on the fact that many lactic products may be unfit for consumption, given inadequate refrigeration conditions that may have negative effects on lactic acid bacteria because their count below 106 UFC / mL does not produce an antimicrobial effect against possible bacteria Pathogens present in the product. However, the probiotic count should be in accordance with current legislation, which recommends a minimum count of 106 UFC / mL. In this sense, the objective of this study was to analyze the quality of the fermented milk commercialized in Cruz das Almas-Bahia, as to the composition of lactic acid bacteria and to verify if the amount of lactic acid bacteria present in the samples of fermented milk is in agreement with the one recommended by the ANVISA. The samples were collected in two supermarkets located in the municipality of Cruz das Almas - Bahia. The establishments that participated in the study were randomly selected and identified as supermarket A and supermarket B. Two different brands (X and Y) of fermented milk were analyzed, each supermarket being sampled 5 samples each, making a total of 20 samples . These samples were submitted to microbiological analysis for lactic acid bacteria counting and storage temperature checking. It was observed that all the analyzed samples were in agreement with the count established by the current legislation, presenting counts superior to 106 UFC / mL. Regarding the temperature, in the supermarket A the samples were stored at the temperature of 5,6ºC and in the supermarket B 7ºC for the marks X and Y being, therefore, within the recommended standard, that according to the Brazilian legislation the fermented milks should be conserved in temperature Not more than 10 ° C. In view of these results, and considering that the bacteria present in the samples analyzed were viable, confirmed by the coagulation test, it is concluded that the evaluated products are suitable for human consumption, thus ensuring the benefits provided by probiotic foods.