Abstract

Chicken meat is a widely consumed food. However, broilers are implicated in contamination by Salmonella spp., since poultry is considered asymptomatic carrier of the pathogen. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of Salmonella spp. in chicken in natura and ready for consumption, as well as in the hands of employees, personal protection equipment and utensils in an industrial kitchen. In total, 18 in natura chicken samples, 18 cooked chicken samples and 30 surfaces were analyzed. Research was conducted in two stages: before and after the presentation of bacteriological analysis and the observational research for managers and employees of food preparation, for the discussion and changes in the procedures to handle and prepare chicken. Salmonella spp. was detected in 55.5% of in natura chicken in stage 1 and in 44.5% in stage 2. In cooked chicken, positive results were observed in 33.4 and 11.2% in stages 1 and 2. Concerning surfaces, the microorganism was detected in 40% (stage 1) and 53.3% (stage 2) of tested samples. The results show the occurrence of problems in the chicken processing chain, with evident cross-contamination, posing risks to the health of the end consumer.

Key words: Poultry, food safety, food microbiology, food contamination