Hygienic and sanitary evaluation of domestic refrigerators from dwellings of students of the São Paulo State University, campus of Botucatu

• Grant number: 11/11980-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2011
• End date: August 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Products of Animal Origin Inspection
• Principal Investigator: Jose Paes de Almeida Nogueira Pinto
• Grantee: Aline Nitsche
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Foodborne Diseases are a serious public health problem, and part of the outbreaks and cases can have origin in mistakes made by consumers themselves during the conservation and preparation of foods, in their own homes. The role of refrigerators, that is, their internal temperature, the hygienic-sanitary condition of their surfaces in contact with the food and the frequency of their hygienization may be important factors in contamination and multiplication of pathogenic and spoiling microorganisms, contributing to the emergence of FBD. Although the literature includes several studies on the theme, there are no records of work of this kind performed in our country. Thus, this project aims to evaluate the hygienic-sanitary conditions of refrigerators belonging to a specific group of the population, that is, the students who reside in the so called "republics" (students' house). Such data can provide important information for future educational actions of this population group that in the future will give rise to new families, thus leading to the spread of concepts of food safety. Throughout the study, 60 "republics" will be assessed, being 30 of male students and 30 of female students. In addition to the maximum/minimum temperatures of refrigerators and the environment in which they are, the following analyzes of the internal surfaces of the electrodomestic device will also be held: psychotrophic microorganisms count, coliform count at 35ºC and Escherichia coli count, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus count, search for Salmonella sp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Finally, a questionnaire containing a series of questions relating to the chilling of food, data on the refrigerator, washing the same and the frequency of its realization, will be presented to the students to be answered individually. Such responses will allow evaluating the knowledge level of the participants on the topic. (AU)