Caracterização físico-química, microbiológica e tecnológica do queijo artesanal da microrregião de Montes Claros - MG

Abstract

The Minas artisanal cheese is marketed throughout the state of Minas Gerais representing an important job of family labor, being that many of them have in the cheese the only source of income. The policies for valuation of local, regional or artisanal produce have become a tool in the preparation of development projects in rural areas that are disadvantaged, and the margins of the models of existing agricultural development. This work aimed to diagnose the socioeconomic aspects and physical-chemical and microbiological characterization of the Minas artisanal cheese of the micro-region of Montes Claros. Microbiological analyzes were performed (coliform 30 ° C, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp and Listeria sp.) and physical-chemical (pH, aw, fat, moisture, chloride, total nitrogen, extension and depth of maturation and ash). A socioeconomic questionnaire was applied encompassing the physical, economical and social characteristics that involve the production units and also the whole process of cheese production in 18 cities that make up the micro-region of Montes Claros, MG. The microbiological results for Escherichia coli and coliform 30 ° C, ranged from 3.60 (Log cfu / ml) to 7.64 (Log cfu / ml) and 5.94 (Log cfu / ml) to 9.36 (Log cfu / ml), respectively. The counts of Staphylococcus aureus in all analyzed samples ranged from 7.04 (Log cfu / ml) to 9.43 (Log cfu / ml). All eighteen cheeses showed negative results for the analyzes of Listeria sp. and two positive results for Salmonella sp.. The found averages for physical-chemical analyzes were: pH 5.36; aw 0.96, 26.34% fat, 48.05% moisture, 1.82% chlorides, total protein 21.09%; extension 9.88 %; maturation depth of 3.85% and ash 4.05. The results obtained in the structured interview demonstrated the difficulty to produce this cheese with desirable quality physical-chemical and microbiological insufficient in the region due to lack of resources and incentives to producers. The high variation in the physical-chemical parameters demonstrates the need for standardization for preparing of the cheese in this region. Microbiologically the cheese does not show food security for their customers due to the presence of pathogenic microorganisms above that allowed by present law.