Educação ambiental e qualidade da água utilizada por agroindustrias familiares de embutidos e defumados de carne, leite pasteurizado e queijo em Francisco Beltrão – PR

Abstract

For most manufacturing processes of agro-industrial products, water is an essential element, although its quality is often neglected. Aiming at the accomplishment of an analysis that investigated this question, the present research made a diagnosis in ten properties of micro producers of agro-industries of sausages and smoked meat, pasteurized milk and cheese in Francisco Beltrão - PR. The main objective of the investigation was the identification of the water quality used by the industries, by performing microbiological analyzes of the water. After the characterization of the production and realization of such agro-industries’ profiles, two water samples were collected and submitted to the analysis of thermotolerant coliforms and Escherichia coli. The results showed that nine of the ten agro-industries studied presented some type of contamination in the water used in the production process, indicating that such family agribusinesses turned to the transformation of meat and milk do not have the proper accompaniment and guidance on the part of the Health Surveillance Sector - Municipal Sanitary Surveillance. This evidence causes great concern about the quality of the product offered by these agro-industries, taking into account the large circulation of these items in the city. Considering that the agro-industrial activity is, for the municipality of Francisco Beltrão, an important means of generating employment and income, besides promoting the interaction between rural and urban environment and adding value to the identity of the local population, it is evaluated that such irregularities should be remedied through a training process and technical assistance to producers and their agro-industries. In order to comply with this intention, the work presents suggestions to minimize the problems in each agroindustry studied. For these solutions to be reached, the work proposed non-formal Environmental Education practices, attempting a new relationship between these producers and the socioenvironmental environment in which they are inserted, as well as a greater commitment on the part of governmental bodies, both at the municipal and state levels, through projects that encourage actions related to water quality in rural areas.