The objective of the present work was to evaluate the microbiological characteristics of the precooked goat "buchada", a typical dish in North East of Brazil, composed mainly by goat viscera such as heart, lungs, liver, spleen, intestines, stomach and blood. Samples of "buchada" produced at the different areas of the State of Paraíba, Brazil, presented a high number of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, with values ranging from 5.5 to 6.9 log10 CFU/g. All samples presented total coliforms, and 96.6% presented fecal coliforms, with values between 2.3 and 5.0 log10 NMP/g. The occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus was observed in one sample only, at a proportion of 4.0 log10 CFU/g. Salmonella was absent in all samples. Water activity was around 0.98 and pH close to neutrality except for the samples collected in Campina Grande which presented pH 5.1, significantly lowar (p<0.05) than the other products. Results indicate inadequate hygienic-sanitary practices during slaughter and processing, requiring preventive measures to minimize contamination at the critical points of the process and to guarantee products with longer shelf life and desirable quality standards.
organs; viscera; hygienic-sanitary conditions; buchada
