RENDIMENTO E QUALIDADE MICROBIOLÓGICA DE DEFUMADOS A BASE DE PEIXES NATIVOS

The adoption of fish processing techniques in family fish farms confers added value, longer shelf life and quality preservation to the fish products. In addition, smoking gives specific flavor for fish, much appreciated, expanding the product portfolio available to consumers. The point of view of food security is that the process has to ensure the microbiological quality and consider the final yield of the product to economically enable its commercialization. This study aimed to evaluate microbiological quality and final yield of smoked native fish: tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) and pirarucu (Arapaima gigas). The results indicated an average final yield of 76,77% for pirarucu filet, 89,36% for whole tambaqui and 86,07% for band tambaqui cutting. Results also confirmed that the microbiological quality were within limits allowed by the Brazilian law.