Evaluación de la calidad microbiológica de los productos cárnicos analizados en el Instituto Nacional de Higiene "Rafael Rangel" durante el período 1990-2000

this study present an evaluation of the microbiological quality, carried out in the inhrr, of cooked meat (salami, mortadela, ham and sausage), raw (hamburger), matured (salami) and commercially sterile meat products consumed in venezuela duringa 10 years period. the obtained data were gathered during 1990-2000 and the percentage of acceptance or rejection was determined according to the microbiological criteria settled down in the current venezuelan covenin standards for each product. it was found that 38,6% of the analyzed units and 60,0% of the analyzed lots were rejected, for not fulfilling the established values for mesophiles aerobic, yeasts,molds and fecal coliform. this suggests flaws quality in raw materials, processing,manipulation and the cold chain. the 2,06% of the analized units were rejected for the presence of staphylococcus aureus (0,90%), salmonella sp.(0.51%), escherichia coli (0,26%), bacillus cereus (0,26%) and clostridium perfringens (0,13%), suggesting weaknesses in the sanitary hygienic conditions during the elaboration of these product, which represents a direct risk for the consumer. regarding to commercially sterile meat products, it was found that 14,3% of the analyzed lots did not fulfill the requirements settled down in the venezuelan standard covenin 2278:1985 ？commercially sterile food. evaluation of the commercial sterility ？. it is recommended: to implement gpm and haccp system in the whole production chain, to carry out sanitary hygienic controls in the distribution centers and to incorporate in the microbiological venezuelan covenin standards related to these products (hamburger, salami, salami and sausage) the research of listeria monocytogenes and escherichia coli o157:h7.