Chicken meat is a widely consumed food. However, broilers are implicated in contamination by
Salmonella spp., since poultry is considered asymptomatic carrier of the pathogen. The objective of
this study was to detect the presence of Salmonella spp. in chicken in natura and ready for
consumption, as well as in the hands of employees, personal protection equipment and utensils in an
industrial kitchen. In total, 18 in natura chicken samples, 18 cooked chicken samples and 30 surfaces
were analyzed. Research was conducted in two stages: before and after the presentation of
bacteriological analysis and the observational research for managers and employees of food
preparation, for the discussion and changes in the procedures to handle and prepare chicken.
Salmonella spp. was detected in 55.5% of in natura chicken in stage 1 and in 44.5% in stage 2. In
cooked chicken, positive results were observed in 33.4 and 11.2% in stages 1 and 2. Concerning
surfaces, the microorganism was detected in 40% (stage 1) and 53.3% (stage 2) of tested samples. The
results show the occurrence of problems in the chicken processing chain, with evident crosscontamination,
posing risks to the health of the end consumer.