Avaliação da estabilidade microbiológica de maionese elaborada com óleo pigmentado com astaxantina

Abstract

Mayonnaise is a widely consumed product in Brazil, however, its microbiological safety can be compromised by factors such as composition, improper handling and storage conditions. Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid pigment that can be used as a substitute for synthetic additives in mayonnaise. This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological stability of mayonnaise made with astaxanthin-pigmented oil stored under refrigeration. The pigmented oil was extracted from the shrimp residue meal and two formulations were prepared, namely Standard Mayonnaise (MP) with only soybean oil and Mayonnaise with pigmented oil (MOP): 13% soybean oil + 87% pigmented oil with astaxanthin, and were subjected to a comparison between the results of the microbiological analyses during a period of 9 days of storage at 4°C. The samples were randomly selected and the analyses of coliforms at 45°C, E. coli, Salmonella and Enterobacteriaceae were performed with an interval of 3 days to start a new analysis, being day 0 (D0), day 3 (D3), day 6 (D6) and day 9 (D9). The results indicated that both samples showed absence of Salmonella sp and E. coli. However, the MP samples on days 3 (D3) and 9 (D9) presented Enterobacteriaceae counts above the recommended by legislation. However, a considerable reduction in the Enterobacteriaceae count was observed in the MOP samples during the same period of storage under refrigeration, meeting the established standard and highlighting the potential and effectiveness of using astaxanthin as a natural preservative. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the addition of astaxanthin influenced a lower microbiological load and proved to be an effective strategy for improving the microbiological stability of mayonnaise stored under refrigeration.