MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF DEHYDRATED SOUPS CONSUMED IN SAN LUIS

CORIGLIANO M; STAGNITTA P; GUZMÁN AMS

Potrero de los Funes, San Luis

Congreso; XXIV Annual Scientific Meeting. Cuyo Biology Society. Potrero de los Funes- San Luis.; 2006

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Area of Microbiology, UNSL. San Luis. E-mail: pvstag@unsl.edu.ar With the name of Soup, the elaborated nutritional conserve with broths is designated. Clostridium perfringens is an important pathogen agent which causes, among others, enteritis in humans and enterotoxemia in domestic animals. The aim of this work was to establish the microbiological quality of dehydrated soups expended in San Luis' city. Fifty and nine samples of dehydrated soups were processed, acquired in trade of it expended the public in San Luis' city. The following determinations were carried out: count of total aerobes in agar medium count, coliforms count in Mac Conkey broth and EC broth (MPN), count of C. perfringens in milk iron medium (MPN), determination of C. perfringens in agar triptosa sulfite cycloserine (TSCA) and determination of enterotoxigenic strains of C. perfringens by RPLA. Total aerobe counts in the 59 samples were 102 -104 cfu/g. Coliforms were detected in an only sample. C. perfringens was detected in 19 (63,33%) samples. None enterotoxigenic strain was obtained. This 19 samples gave counts <3.0-43 C. perfringens/g by the MPN method, 3 samples surpasses the limits suggeted by the Alimentary Code (CAA) (Art 442). The microbiological quality in general was good but the incidence of C. perfringens in this samples was low a potential risk exists, in the event of improper handing during the preparation of the foods.