Food security has become a major concern of the world population and this is even more prominence in polluted areas. This study aimed to evaluate microbiological and toxic elements content of local food itens from Santo Amaro, Bahia. The determination of lead, cadmium, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total coliform were carried out in coriander, cassava, okra, chicken muscle/liver, fish muscle and eggs. The population of total coliform and E. coli were estimated by the express count method using plates EC (AOAC 991.14) and accounting of colonies by colony counter. For toxic elements determination samples were digested using HNO 3 and H 2 O 2 following EPA 200.3 using a digester block with cold fingers. The determination of lead and cadmium was performed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometery (ICP OES). The mean total coliform has ranged from < 1 to 4.5 log CFU g-1. Coriander presented higher mean total coliform (4.5 log CFU g-1) and E. coli was higher than recommended levels. The range of toxic elements revealed higher concentrations of lead in chicken muscle (1.25-11.58 mg kg-1) and cadmium in eggs (0.45-1.06 mg kg-1). Finally, the risk to the inhabitants of Santo Amaro was evident and reinforces the importance of effective actions of local authorities.

SUMMARY Current study determines the population of total coliforms and Escherichia coli and identifies iss and iutA virulence genes in Escherichia coli strains isolated from cellulitis in poultry carcasses retrieved from a slaughterhouse. One hundred cellulitis lesions were collected between August 2013 and January 2014. The population of total coliforms and Escherichia coli was verified by Petrifilm™ rapid counting method (AOAC 998.8). Escherichia coli samples were analyzed for iss and iutA genes by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique. Total coliforms were present in 96.0% (96/100) of the analyzed samples, with a population between 3.4 and 9.5 log CFU/g. Escherichia coli was present in 82.0% (82/100) of cellulitis samples and the population ranged between <1.0 and 9.0 log CFU/g. The iss gene was found in 89.0% of isolates and the iutA gene in 97.6%. High populations of total coliforms and Escherichiacoli in cellulitis samples indicate that hygienic-sanitary failures may have occurred in the production of broilers. When high prevalence of virulence genes under analysis, characteristic of Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) and possible zoonotic character of the pathotype are taken into account, it is important to highlight the need to adopt Good Manufacturing Practices, Standard Procedures of Operational Hygiene and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points in poultry slaughterhouses to ensure the safety of the final product.