Introduction: The “sequilho” is a popular biscuit in Brazil, usually produced by hand by family agro-industries. However, many times, due to the lack of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), these foods present a risk of contamination by pathogens, becoming potential carriers of Foodborne Diseases (FBD). Objective: To evaluate the microbiological quality of biscuits produced by family agro-industries of Solidarity Economic Enterprises in Bahia. Method: Between August and October 2022, 14 batches of biscuits were evaluated, consisting of 5 samples, totaling 70 samples, from 5 family agro-industries located in the municipalities of Santo Antônio de Jesus, São Felipe, Mutuípe, Teolândia, and Valença, in the State of Bahia, Brazil. Microbiological analysis was performed using the rapid Petrifilm™ plate count method (3M Company) for Salmonella sp. (AOAC 2014.01), Escherichia coli (AOAC 991.14), Molds and yeasts (AOAC 997.02), Coagulase-positive Staphylococci (AOAC 2003.07), and the traditional method for quantification of Bacillus cereus (AOAC 980.31). Results: 13 batches (92.9%) showed satisfactory quality. Of these, 9 (69.2%) presented satisfactory results with acceptable quality and 4 (30.8%) were satisfactory with intermediate quality. In addition, one batch (7.1%) was considered unsatisfactory because it had a B. cereus count above the limit allowed by health legislation. Conclusions: The biscuits evaluated had a low contamination rate, not representing a risk of the transmission of FBD, thus being suitable for human consumption. However, it is suggested the elaboration of public policies that involve the health education of the handlers, increase of production and valorization of the regional culture.
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Santos et al. (2024) studied this question.
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