Abstract

BEJARANO RONCANCIO, Jhon Jairo  and  FANDINO MARTINEZ, Melany Andrea. Characterising operational points' hygienic, sanitary and microbiological conditions regarding the Colombian elderly food programme PNAAM ICBF, 2007. rev.fac.med. [online]. 2011, vol.59, n.4, pp.308-318. ISSN 0120-0011.

Background. The Colombian Elderly Food Programme (Programa Nacional de Alimentación al Adulto Mayor - PNAAM) emerged as a strategy from a development plan called «Towards a community state, 2002-2006» aimed at mitigating hunger and improving the nutritional state of this poor and vulnerable population by supplying two types of food supplement: an already prepared portion (APP) and a portion needing to be prepared (PNBP). Objective. Identifying the factors causing deterioration in the quality and harmlessness of the food being offered in the APP; this could represent a hazard of food-borne disease (FBD) for the beneficiaries. Materials and methods. A descriptive study was made which analysed the hygienic/sanitary conditions of 603 national operating/distribution points and the pertinent microbiological results. The variables being studied were characterised by screening 25,285 items of data from two databases prepared by this programme's technical staff. Results. All the departments supplying APP had hygienic/sanitary conditions facilitating biological hazards for the food which they were preparing. Samples were found which were contaminated by pathogenous microorganisms beyond the established quality indicator parameters. Conclusion. Unfavourable technical conditions for producing food were found and the microbiological results revealed contamination in prepared food and water. The programme's operators (during its execution) initiated improvement plans recommended by programme auditing aimed at reducing biological hazards in the food chain.

Keywords : food microbiology; aged; foodborne diseases; MeSH.

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