Aspectos microbiológicos das especiarias comercializadas na Região Metropolitana do Recife/PE.

Abstract

The first great globalization of the Modern Age, initiated by the Portuguese and Spanish in the 15th and 16th centuries, was strongly stimulated by the search for new sources of spices, hitherto unknown to the European nobility and which were quickly incorporated into their culinary repertoire. The practice of using spices adds flavor and naturally preserves food, due to the presence of essential oils with antimicrobial action. The objective was to investigate the presence/absence of possible pathogens in spices: Black pepper (Piper nigrum), Oregano (Origanum vulgare) and Urucum (Bixa Orellana L.), marketed in the Metropolitan Region of Recife (RMR). Microbiological tests were carried out to verify the hygienic-sanitary conditions of the spices in compliance with current legislation. All samples were absent from Salmonella sp., Stapylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. In the research of molds and yeasts, the highest concentrations were found in oregano, followed by black pepper and annatto. The high presence of fungi in spices is a public health problem, due to the ability of some species to produce mycotoxins, causing carcinogenic and hepatotoxic conditions. This health risk requires monitoring by public management throughout the production and storage chain, to mitigate the deleterious effects on the consumer population and on products from the food industry.