MICROBIAL RISK RELATED TO SUGAR CANE JUICE CONSUMPTION

Sugarcane juice is a popular and highly consumed drink in Brazil due to its refreshing and sweet taste characteristics. Several studies indicate its high degree of microbial contamination. This contamination may be related to the sugarcane microbiota and to storage and handling conditions, indicating failures related to Good Handling Practices (GHP). In view of the above, this study aims to (1) create a GHP checklist suited to the reality of sugarcane juice sellers, and (2) describe the microbial profile of the beverage sold at street markets in the city of Rio de Janeiro. An adapted checklist, based on RDC 275/2002, targeted to the typical characteristics of street markets was created. So far, 12 sales points have been analyzed, as well as one drink sample of each of these points. Sugarcane juice was collected in original packaging and maintained under refrigeration until microbial analysis. Microbial quality was assessed by the search for IN 161/2022 standards, additionally the total bacterial profile was evaluated by cultivation on blood agar. Observational checklist showed that 100% of the sales point do not follow GHP, and stand out, for example: garbage piled up in the surrounding area; low frequency of hand washing; money and food handling by the same person, and wearing beards and ornaments). All juice samples presented high amount of E. coli, and some, Salmonella spp. These results together indicate that neither the environment, nor the drink, are suitable with current legislation, pointing to the urgent need for adaptations at sales points and local processing alternatives in order to guarantee the microbiological safety of the drink. As future perspectives, it is still necessary to define a total microbial profile (bacteria and protozoa) in order to design conservation strategies for this drink.