Microrganisms of sanitary interest in sushi

Abstract

Considering the growing consumption of typical foods of Japanese cuisine, it has been of constant concern for public health. In this study, the sanitary quality of sushi served in the city of João Pessoa/PB was investigated following the recommendations for the microbiological analyses of total and fecal coliforms, coagulase-positive staphylococci, Salmonella, Bacillus cereus, mesophilic and filamentous and non-filamentous fungi. The samples were collected from five restaurants (A, B, C, D and E) serving Japanese food in the city of João Pessoa/PB; and they were analyzed in the Food Microbiology Laboratory of Federal University of Paraíba. Among the analyzed samples, 80 % showed fecal coliform counts above the limits established by Brazilian legislation, 6.6 % had coagulase positive staphylococci counts above the limit, and in 13.3 % potentially pathogenic species of Salmonella sp were isolated. B. cereus was not isolated from any analyzed sample. In spite of the unavailability of a pattern for sushi in the current legislation for mesophilic aerobic bacteria and filamentous and non-filamentous fungi counting, the present study was carried out in order to assess the sanitary conditions of this food. Considering the achieved results, the analyzed food showed a potential risk to the consumers health.