Abstract In order to investigate the potential of the green banana as a prebiotic, and for its content of resistant starch, fermented yogurts were produced by cultures composed of Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus acidophilus as well as being enriched with three concentrations of industrialized green banana pulp (GBP) (3%, 5% and 10% w/v). The green banana pulp added to the yogurt stimulated the multiplication of L. acidophilus after the first day of fermentation and B. bifidum after seven days in cold storage compared to the control that consisted of yogurt without the addition of green banana pulp. The dose-response effect was not observed; however, the results show that the green banana pulp has a prebiotic potential without interfering with either the physicochemical or sensorial characteristics.

Foram analisadas 96 amostras de carne-de-sol, das quais 48 foram coletadas em estabelecimentos inspecionados e 48 em estabelecimentos não-inspecionados. Com o objetivo de avaliar as condições higiênico-sanitárias desse produto, durante o processamento e a comercialização, pesquisou-se a incidência de bactérias mesófilas, bolores e leveduras, Staphylococcus aureus, coliformes fecais e Escherichia coli. Foram analisados ainda, alguns parâmetros físico-químicos como atividade de água e teor de cloreto de sódio. Nos dois grupos os resultados obtidos nas análises microbiológicas foram bastante elevados. Nas amostras provenientes de estabelecimentos inspecionados as médias da contagem total de bactérias mesófilas, bolores e leveduras, Staphylococcus spp e coliformes fecais foram 6,2Log UFC/g, 3,8Log UFC/g, 7,4Log UFC/g e 1,3Log NMP/g, respectivamente, e, nas comercializadas sem inspeção foram 7,4Log UFC/g, 4,4Log UFC/g, 6,8Log UFC/g e 2,6Log NMP/g, respectivamente. Esses resultados sugerem que houve falhas tanto no processamento como na manipulação desses produtos, sendo que a contaminação fecal foi bem mais elevada nas amostras coletadas nos estabelecimentos sem inspeção. A variação dos teores de cloreto de sódio e atividade de água das amostras indicou falta de padronização de qualidade da carne-de-sol, havendo a necessidade de se estabelecer parâmetros legais tanto microbiológicos como físico-químicos, capazes de oferecer ao consumidor um alimento seguro.

A total of 96 samples of sun meat were analyzed, 48 of them were collected in inspected establishments and the other 48 in establishments without inspection. This work was developed in order to evaluate the hygienic-sanitary conditions of these products during their processing and marketing. The incidence of mesophilic bacterias, molds, yeasts, Staphylococcus aureus, fecal coliforms and Escherichia coli was investigated. Also, some physical-chemical parameters as water activity and sodium chloride were analyzed. In both groups the results obtained in microbial analysis were quite high. In the samples of the inspected establishments the averages of mesophylic counts bacterias, molds and yeasts, Staphylococcus spp and fecal coliforms were 6,2Log UFC/g, 3,8Log UFC/g, 7,4Log UFC/g and 1,34Log NMP/g respectively and, in the samples without inspection, the averages were 7,41Log UFC/g, 4,44Log UFC/g, 6,78Log UFC/g and 2,6Log NMP/g, respectively. The microbial results suggest errors in the processing and manipulation of both samples, and the fecal contamination was much higher in the samples collected in establishments without inspection. The variation of the sodium chloride content and water activity of the sample indicated lack of standardization during sun dried meat processing. There is the need tho establish microbiological and physical-chemical legal parameters capable of offering safe food to the consumer.