Principais não conformidades verificadas nas inspeções sanitárias na agricultura familiar e na produção rural de Minas Gerais

Introduction: The need to strengthen the initiatives of the productive model of family farming and rural producers in harmony with the procedures for the formalization and  production of safe food requires that Health Surveillance departments better assess the  risk related to these activities. Objective: To analyze the panorama of inadequacies to good manufacturing practices detected in the health inspections of rural producers or family farmers in the State of Minas Gerais. Method: Cross-sectional study based on the information obtained in the spreadsheet of risk notifications and risk situations (Planilha de notificacoes de riscos e situacoes de riscos) from the Health Department of Minas Gerais (Brazil). This spreadsheet collect data from all health inspections in food producing establishments of rural producers and family farmers, was carried out from January of 2017 to December of 2019, at 853 municipalities in the State. Results: 3,442 health inspection risk notifications were analyzed, showing that the highest percentages of non-compliance with hygienic-sanitary requirements were the absence of formal training for handlers, in 26.00% of inspections; the use of non-potable water detected in 16.50% and non-compliance  with good practices by handlers, mentioned in 14.20%. On the contrary, the inadequacies of time and temperature in transportation (4.70%), the use of feedstock without registration (5.10%), and the inadequate exposure (6.20%) of the final products represented the non-conformities less referred to in the reports. Conclusions: The main non-conformities observed in inspections of small rural enterprises in Minas Gerais indicate that structural issues are a higher priority regarding health requirements to the detriment of educational and basic sanitation processes. These constraints on compliance with regulations expose the main vulnerabilities that  hinder productive inclusion. These findings may serve as a reference for the sector’s development initiatives.