title: Microbiological profile and nutritional quality of raw foods for neutropenic patients under hospital care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to analyze and compare the microbiological profile and vitamin C content of raw and cooked foods destined for neutropenic inpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three vegetables and nine fruits, raw and boiled, washed and sanitized were examined. Heat-tolerant coliforms and coagulase-positive staphylococci were counted and the presence of Salmonella spp was investigated. The vitamin C content was analyzed by a colorimetric reaction. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used for statistical analysis and the nonparametric Wilcoxon test was used to compare the mean vitamin C values of the cooked and raw foods. The Spearman correlation test was applied to determine the associations between the parameters evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Salmonella spp was absent in all samples and the populations of coagulase-positive staphylococci and heat-tolerant coliforms were below the minimum detectable limits of the methods employed (< 100 colony forming units (CFU)/g and < 3 most probable number (MPN)/g, respectively). There was a significant loss of vitamin C in the cooked foods, 38.9% on average, compared to the raw foods, a loss that was positively correlated with cooking time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The fresh fruits and vegetables properly sanitized in this study had a microbiological profile consistent with that required by Brazilian law. Furthermore, the nutritional value of the neutropenic diet is diminished, at least in terms of the vitamin C content.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paula Cristina
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Galati
authors.forename: Renata Cristina
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Lataro
authors.forename: Vanessa Maciel
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Elaine Cristina Pereira
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: de Martinis
authors.forename: Paula Garcia
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Chiarello
keywords: Diet; Food microbiology; Immunosuppression; Neutropenia; Nutritive value