Microbiological evaluation in street food outside the Universidad del Atlántico North Campus

Background: The street foods are distributed in all the countries of the world, representing a part of the culture and gastronomy of each country, they are ready for consumption and easily acquired. They are exposed to unfavorable conditions that lead to rapid deterioration and increased microbial load. The study consisted of microbiologically evaluating a street food outside the Universidad del Atlántico North Campus.Methods: A survey was applied to know the most consumed food in the university community. In addition, it structured a randomized 3x2 factorial arrangement, where two sampling points will analyze design: Black and Fritos Fritos Juanca, of which 3 samples of the same food were extracted for evaluation of their quality and microbiological safety. Results: Counting microorganisms yielded 16.67% of the samples contaminated by fecal coliforms with 25 CFU / g, total coliform count was present in 50% of the samples with 27.5 and 75.0 results between CFU/ g, whereas 100% of the samples had presence of aerobic mesophiles, and in the total of these there was no presence of sulfite-reducing spores and Staphylococcus aureus.Conclusion: Therefore, all quality control measures must be taken to reduce the growth of microorganisms and prevent food contamination through hygiene techniques, training in health education, basic principles of Good Manufacturing Practices and hygienic practices in food handling.