Özet:

Abstract Introduction: Contamination of raw consumed foods such as lettuce salads is predictable by telluric origin and improper handling in commercial establishments constituting a possible risk to Public Health. The use of acetic fermented as antibacterial could be a skillful mechanism to improve the quality and safety of this food. Objective: To evaluate the microbiological quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) salads marketed in the city of Duque de Caxias, RJ and the effectiveness of acetic acid lecithin as a decontaminant. Method: Lettuce salad samples were collected at four restaurants and analyzed before and after decontamination with acetic fermented in volatile acidity (4, 5 and 6 in g. 100 mL-1) and concentrations of 10% and 50% the count of mesophilic aerobic bacteria, total and thermotolerant coliforms and the presence of Salmonella spp. Results: The analyses revealed poor quality of the samples in three restaurants (A, B, C) where, although the presence of Salmonella spp. was not observed, there were high counts of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and total and thermotolerant coliforms. In accordance with legal regulations, in two establishments, the samples would be disapprove by the excess of thermotolerant coliforms. With the use of acetic fermentation in the decontamination, bacterial counts were reduced, allowing all the samples to present satisfactory conditions for human consumption. There was no significant difference (p < 0.05) between the treatments with different concentrations and acidity of acetic fermented in relation to the untreated samples. Conclusions: Acetic fermented can be a safe and practical alternative to improve the hygienic-sanitary quality of lettuce in raw salads, ensuring food safety and reducing risks to human health.

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