Microbiological and Physical–Chemical Quality of Pickled Vegetables Produced by Rural Family Agribusinesses ^†

The aim of the present study was to assess the microbiological and physical–chemical quality of pickled vegetables produced by rural family agribusinesses in the mountainous region of Espírito Santo State, Brazil. This descriptive, observational and cross-sectional study was carried out on the basis of secondary data provided by the Food Monitoring Program of Espírito Santo State, Brazil. Data were extracted from sample collection terms and from analysis reports on 58 samples of pickled vegetables produced by 37 rural family agribusinesses, which were collected between June and September 2022. The analyses applied to these samples included Salmonella sp. incidence; molds, yeasts, and Enterobacteriaceae counts; and pH, titratable acidity, and chloride content in sodium chloride determination. The microbiological limits for these products are the absence of Salmonella sp., 10² for Enterobacteriaceae, and 10³ for molds and yeasts. For physical–chemical quality, these products must have a pH of 4.5 or lower. All samples were in compliance with the legislation provided for Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae. In total, 13.79% of the samples (n = 8) presented mold and yeast counts higher than the microbiological limit of 10³. The pH of 12.06% (n = 7) of the samples was higher than 4.5, which exceeded the limit established by the legislation. The titratable acidity ranged from 0.25 to 2.82 g of acetic acid/100 g; its mean value reached 0.89 g of acetic acid/100 g. The chloride values ranged from 0.10 to 5.70 g of NaCl/100 g; its mean value reached 1.85 g of NaCl/100 g. Thus, 25.86% (n = 15) of the samples did not comply with the legislation. These results suggested that microbiological and physical–chemical quality were compromised in some of the analyzed samples. This finding indicated likely flaws in good manufacturing practices and quality controls, and it can pose risks to consumer health.