Assessment of frozen seafood good storage practices in the 21st supply deposit of the Brazilian army

Abstract

The 21st Supply Deposit of the Brazilian Army (21st DSup), located in the city of São Paulo provides food raw materials for 16000 meals daily, and frozen fish is among the foodstuffs distributed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the good practices of seafood storage in the 21st DSup, identify issues of non-compliance that compromise food quality, and propose solutions. The system was evaluated, applying a checklist (RDC 275/2002) to evaluate the percentage of requirements in compliance with good practices. The 21st DSup was classified in Group 3, with 41% of items in conformance (< 50%), and we found that there is no hygienic-sanitary self-control program for storing cold seafood and other food supplies. The cold stores’ temperatures are not able to maintain products within the required standards of conservation. The seafood cold storage protocol of the 21st DSup does not guarantee temperature conformity. It is necessary to implement a hygienic-sanitary self-control program for food supply storage, which should begin with the development of a food safety culture.