ANÁLISE MICROBIOLÓGICA E FÍSICO-QUÍMICA DO GELO UTILIZADO NA CONSERVAÇÃO DE PESCADO EM SUPERMERCADOS DE RIO BRANCO-AC.

The ice is essential for the proper conservation of fish, as it delays microbial growth, preserving the physical-chemical, microbiological and organoleptic characteristics. However, ice can be a source of health risk for consumers when produced under poor sanitary conditions. Critical points must be controlled during the ice production and storage stage, such as the use of potable water and hygienic-sanitary conditions. The presence of high populations of heterotrophic and coliform microorganisms and the poor physicochemical quality of the ice used for fish conservation can represent a potential risk to the consumer, which can be a carrier of diseases such as Salmonellosis, Escherichia coli infection and Staphylococcus aureus poisoning, in addition to reducing the shelf life of the product. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the microbiological and physical-chemical quality of the ice used in the conservation of fish marketed in Rio Branco - AC. 15 ice samples collected in three different supermarkets were analyzed. It was recommended the collection of ice manufactured with its own machinery and that it be used in the commercialization of fresh fish, which would be exposed and cooled in ice stalls on site 300g ice manually with the use of gloves and packed in sterilized glass bottles, in an isothermal box. The microbiological quality of these samples was analyzed by counting mesophilic and psychrotrophic heterotrophic microorganisms. In addition, the determination of the most probable number of total coliforms at 30°C, thermotolerant and the quantification of pH and free residual chlorine of the samples were performed. Regarding the determination of mesophilic microorganisms, values between 1,00x101 and 9,15x103 UFC/mL were recorded with samples (60%) out of the standard established by Ordinance MG/MS No. 888/2021. The amount of psychrotrophs varied between 1,00x101 and 8,98x103 CFU/mL. The presence of total coliforms at 30°C was recorded in 6 samples and of thermotolerants in 4 samples. Therefore, there was a variation in the quality standards of ices manufactured in supermarkets for fish conservation, constituting a potential risk to the health of consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]