Charqui is a salted and sun dried meat product, obtained by the dehydration of beef, thus being preserved for a long time. Despite going through steps which hamper microorganisms' growth, it can be contaminated during the processing stages. Therefore, this study was aimed at microbiologically evaluating 25 samples of charqui meat taken from a slaughterhouse in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Samples were analyzed as to the counts of coagulase-positive staphylococci, the MPN of thermotolerant coliforms, the presence of Salmonella spp., and the counts of halophilic bacteria. By evaluating the microbiological quality of charqui meat, we observed that five samples (20%) were off legal standards (ANVISA) as to coagulase positive staphylococci, with counts ranging from 1.38 to 3.93 CFU/g, and all samples were within patterns for the thermotolerant coliform count. The presence of Salmonella spp. was observed in seven samples (28%), and the average count of halophilic bacteria was of 2.25 CFU/g. Thus, charqui meat presents microorganisms which compromise the quality of products and put the consumer's health at risk.
manipulation; Salmonella spp.; thermotolerant coliforms; hygiene