Microbiological evaluation of beef sold in Brazil and consumer knowledge about food safety

Resumo

Meat is highly perishable and is often associated with foodborne disease outbreaks. The risk associated with handling food at home is underestimated, as consumers generally associate foodborne disease outbreaks with food from food services. This study aimed to quantify Escherichia coli, coagulase-positive staphylococci, mesophilic aerobic bacteria, and Salmonella spp. in ground beef samples sold at commercial establishments in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, and to evaluate the knowledge of food safety among consumers in the region.  Microbiological analyses were performed on 70 ground beef samples, and the knowledge of 92 meat consumers was analyzed using an online questionnaire based on the World Health Organization (WHO) safe food guidelines. Fifty percent of the meat samples had aerobic mesophilic microorganism counts above the limit established by Brazilian legislation, indicating unacceptable food quality. Only two samples (2.86%) had counts of coagulase-positive staphylococci above those allowed by legislation. The consumer knowledge regarding food safety showed that items related to "cook thoroughly" and "keeping food at safe temperatures" had the lowest percentage of correct answers. Dissemination of information about temperatures that ensure food safety is essential for consumers, especially considering that even with high levels of contamination, most microorganisms are destroyed by heat.