SUMMARY

In recent years, the segment of pet food has had a significant growth in sales volume in Brazil. The Brazilian market for dog feed is growing at the highest rate worldwide. The present study analyzes 15 brands of dog food regarding their hygienic-sanitary quality, sold either in sealed packages or in bulk. Samples were obtained from specialized shops in Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. Most Probable Number of total and thermotolerant coliform bacteria, counting of mold and yeasts, mesophilic microorganisms and bacteria of the genus Salmonella were also determined. Results show that no significant difference was detected in counting of molds, yeasts and mesophilic micro-organisms among the commercialized samples either in sealed packages or in bulk. Higher percentages of samples contaminated by molds and yeasts and higher fecal pollution contamination indexes were detected in bulk feed samples. Bacteria of genus Salmonella were not isolated in the analyzed samples. It is recommended that the bulk feed be packed and sealed for commercialization, so that its micro-biological quality is preserved