Potabilidade da água utilizada na produção de alimentos de agroindústrias familiares rurais de empreendimentos solidários

Abstract

Water is essential for life and its quality is indispensable. The production of food from Family Farming must be carried out safely, complying with current sanitary standards, including water used in the production process of these foods. This study aimed to assess the potability of water used in the production of food from rural family agro-industries in Solidarity Enterprises in Bahia. It is a qualitative quantitative descriptive study, carried out from October 2022 to September 2023, in six Family Farming Agro-industries of Solidarity Enterprises in Bahia, located in the territories of Recôncavo, Vale do Jiquiriçá, Baixo Sul, and Portal do Sertão. Initially, a checklist was applied based on Resolution RDC No. 216/2004 from the National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA), in order to assess the origin and quality of water used in the production processes and the basic sanitation conditions related to sanitary sewage and solid waste disposal of the enterprises. Then, the water used in the agro-industries was collected and microbiological analysis was carried out, according to the parameters of Ordinance 888/2021 from the Ministry of Health (MS) for the quantification of total coliforms and Escherichia coli, and evaluation of physical-chemical parameters such as color, residual chlorine, turbidity and pH. Finally, the reports of the microbiological and physical-chemical analyses of the water were delivered. The checklist results revealed that the majority of family agro-industries had alternative solutions as their main water supply source, with 33.3% (n=2) using water from an artesian well, 16.7% (n=1) from a cistern, 16.7% (n=1) from springs, and 33.3% (n=2) from the public supply. It was found that 100% (n=6) of the enterprises used water directly from the tap and had polyethylene reservoirs, but 50.0% (n=3) did not carry out proper cleaning. It was also found that 100% (n=6) of the enterprises had rudimentary septic systems, and 83.3% (n=5) had a distance of up to 10m between the bathrooms and the production area. It was found that 100% (n=6) of the solid waste was burned, 66.7% (n=4) of organic waste was composted, and 83.3% (n=5) of the agro-industries discharged their effluents directly into the environment. In the microbiological analyses, 50.0% (n=3) of the water samples were considered unsatisfactory according to the legislation. In the physical-chemical findings, regarding the pH parameters, only one sample had a pH of 4.4, which can make the water more corrosive and facilitate biofilm formation. Based on the results, educational actions were carried out in the enterprises through a dialogic exhibition about proper hygiene of reservoirs and treatment of water from alternative sources, and the implementation of a filtration system aiming to improve the quality of water for human consumption and food production.