Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology A 2 (2012) 511-519 Earlier title: Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, ISSN 1939-1250 Evaluation of Total and Faecal Coliforms and Salmonella spp. in Irradiated Mussels from Brazil Flávia Aline Andrade Calixto 1 , Eliana de Fátima Marques de Mesquita 2 , Robson Maia Franco 2 , Cynthia Annes Rubião 3 , Neila Mello dos Santos Cortez 4 , Mauro Carlos Lopes Souza 5 and Licínio Esmeraldo da Silva 2 1. Higiene Veterinária e Processamento Tecnológico de Produtos de Origem Animal (HVPTPOA), UFF, Fundação Instituto de Pesca do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FIPERJ), Niterói 24120191, Brazil 2. Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói 24230340, Brazil 3. Biosafe Food Consulting, Rio de Janeiro 22640101, Brazil 4. Doctorate Student in HVPTPOA, UFF, Niterói 24230340, Brazil 5. Centro Universitário Estadual da Zona Oeste (UEZO), Rio de Janeiro 23070200, Brazil Received: November 9, 2011 / Published: April 20, 2012. Abstract: Ilha Grande Bay is one of the biggest producers of bivalves of Rio de Janeiro State. Statistics reports of foodborne diseases are quite low in Brazil, however, this fact is a matter of Public Health. In their majority concerning consumption of bivalves meat, the availability of safe products requires the use of technology as food irradiation. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the presence of bacteria resulting from the environmental contamination and epidemiological importance, Salmonella spp., total and faecal coliforms of mussel (Perna perna) from that region and the use of irradiation on the product in natura. Fifteen indicative samples of mussel were collected from five gr owing points in Ilha Grande Bay. A sample of each point was irradiated with doses of 1.0 and 1.5 kGy. The bacteriological analysis followed the instructions of the Brazilian legislation. The samples presented irregularities in relation to Salmonella spp. and faecal coliforms, the latter for the control group. The control group was noticed as not appropriate for consumption. The dose of 1.0 kGy was effective for the reduction of faecal coliforms, but ineffective for the extinction of Salmonella spp. Key words: Mussel, bacteriological evaluation, Ilha Grande Bay, food irradiation. 1. Introduction The rational culture of mussels, or mitiliculture, is one of the most productive types of aquaculture known. The main reasons are: mussels’ ability to filtrate, which makes the supply of supplementary feed unnecessary; high ratings of feed conversion, which results in fast growing and high productivity; low-cost installations for the culture; facility in the handling and acquirement of young mussels for culture [1]. Due to the nourishing process a great quantity of Corresponding author: Flávia Aline Andrade Calixto, MV, M.Sc., research fields: fish technology, fish hygiene, aquaculture. E-mail: faacalixto@gmail.com. water is filtered by the gills of the mussels. These bivalve mollusks concentrate many microorganisms in their tissues and the microbiota is a result of its environment. For this reason, the bivalves are known as reservoirs of many microbial pathogens [2]. According to data from the Hospital Information System of the Health Ministry (Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do Ministério da Saúde) there were more than 3,400,000 hospitalizations of foodborne diseases in Brazil during the years of 1999 to 2004. The average was of 570 thousand occurrences per year [3]. About 90% of the reports of diseases caused by the consumption of fisheries contamination result from D DAVID PUBLISHING