Easter Eggs and Other Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L) Products Quality: Insects, Mites, Fungi and Packaging versus Critical Control Points
Heloisa H. Kreibich, Geovana D. Savi, Vildes M. Scussel, Elisa Moecke

Abstract
The samples collected were sold in Florianopolis, Southern Brazil, and were tested for light filths (insects/larvae/rodent hair/mites-live/dead/fragments),as well as for fungi(total load/genera/species) and packaging (material type/sealing). From the total samples studied, different biological contaminants were detected in 53% of them. Fungi were isolated in 41% of the total samples, mainly Penicillium, Aspergillus and Rhyzopus. Regarding packagings, despite of their number of different material layers, 9% did not comply to the current packaging regulation regarding perforations stains and insect/larvae presence. In addition, a total of 15% of the inner contents howed darker spots, oxidation/rancid odor and perforations too. Indeed, the chocolate products of those insects damaged packages, showed also live larvae in the chocolate mass, quite disgusting to consumers.The contamination CPs of the factory processing steps identified were: raw materials reception; chocolate manufacturing; packaging; storage; transport and commercialization (sold too close to shelf life expiring date).

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