Formas parasitárias encontradas em hortaliças comercializadas em feira livre de Picos, Piauí: A importância do processo de sanitização

Daily intake of vegetables provides numerous benefits to human health, yet they have been one of the foods most related to food poisoning outbreaks worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of parasitic structures in vegetables sold in the open fairs in Picos Piauí, before and after the use of 2% sodium hypochlorite as a sanitizer. One hundred and sixty samples were analyzed: 40 of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), 40 samples of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla L.), 40 samples of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) and 40 samples of chives (Allium fistulosum L.), all from conventional planting. For parasitic search, the spontaneous sedimentation method (Hoffmann) was used. All samples examined were contaminated by some parasitic structure and had multiple contamination. The predominant parasites were hookworm (egg and larva), Ascaris lumbricoides (egg), Entamoeba histolytica (cyst), Taenia sp. (egg) and Trichuris trichiura (egg and larva). The samples were sanitized, and the process reduced the parasite load by more than half. It is important to carry out health education campaigns for producers, traders and consumers of vegetables in the region and a strict supervision of the hygienic-sanitary quality of these foods, measures that provide improvement in the quality of vegetables and safety for those who consume them.