Effect of nisin in Lactococcus and Lactobacillus counts in artisanal Minas cheese of Araxá region - Minas Gerais state - Brazil

Abstract

The Minas artisanal cheeses from Araxá region are produced in Araxá, Campos Altos, Ibiá, Pedrinópolis, Perdizes, Sacramento, Santa Juliana, Uberaba, Conquista, Pratinha e Tapira cities. These cheeses are made from raw milk and they are fairly handled, so they can carry pathogenic micro-organisms, from the milk itself and also from the hygienic and sanitary conditions to which they are subjected. Nisin can adjuvant to reduce the contamination of these cheeses, combined with good manufacturing practices to getting the milk and is a product easy to use. Nisin acts against Gram positive bacteria, some of which are pathogenic, such as Staphylococcus aureus. However, nisin can also inhibit the lactic acid bacteria, depending on the dose used in cheese manufacture and can consequently affect the desired sensory characteristics of the cheese artisan. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding different concentrations of nisin on the behavior of two groups of lactic acid bacteria, Lactobacillus and Lactococcus, in Minas artisanal cheese from Araxá region, during the 60 days of ripening. The search result was satisfactory because it was found that nisin not interfere with the multiplication of Lactobacillus and Lactococcus along the cheese ripening of Minas artisanal from Araxá region