Evaluation of sanitary quality and lactic microbiota during parmesan cheese ripening

Abstract

In dairy products, such as Parmesan, the presence of bacteria from the coliform group and Staphylococcus genre demage the hygienicsanitary qualities of the product. This research aimed to evaluate the sanitary quality and viability of lactic acid bacteria in the milk and in Parmesan cheeses during the ripening period. The cheeses were produced with the addition of different cultures, Lactobacillus helveticus (A, Cc₁, D₁ e E₅), aged at 18ºC for 180 days, and were evaluated to the total lactic bacteria, bacteria from the coliform group and coagulase positive Staphylococcus. Milk used in each processing was analyzed by the incidence of these same bioindicators, including the assessment of mesophiles and Salmonella sp. All milk and Parmesan cheese samples were in accordance to legal standards regarding contamination bioindicators. Cheeses exhibited an adequate sanitary quality and the presence of lactic bacteria, which population reduced from 90^th days of ripening.