Microbiological evaluation of Artisanal Minas Cheeses from the Triângulo Mineiro region

Abstract

The State of Minas Gerais stands out in the production of cheese, with eight regions traditionally characterized as producing Minas Artisanal Cheese: Serro, Canastra, Araxá, Cerrado, Campo of the Vertentes, Triângulo Mineiro, Serra do Salitre and Serras de Ibitipoca. The Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária (IMA), in February 2014 recognized the Triângulo Mineiro (TM) as the sixth producing region of Minas Artisanal Cheese. The Minas Artisanal Cheese (MAC) is characterized using raw milk in its manufacture and the addition of natural starter cultures known as "pingo", following a simple, familiar, and customary manufacturing process. Five producers in the TM region registered in some inspection service (IMA, SIF, or SIM) was selected by Emater. In the selected properties, cheese samples were collected, at pre-defined day intervals up to 22 days of ripening, during the rainy and dry season of 2021, for microbiological analysis. The ripening period contributed to the reduction in counts positive Staphylococcus, coliforms at 35° e 45°C. Salmonella spp. was detected in cheeses from a single producer after ten days of ripening, in the dry season. The Listeria genus was not detected in any sample of milk or cheese. Given the plurality of results of each producer, it is concluded that defining a ripening period for each individualized property is more appropriate than defining the same for a particular producing region of MAC.