Caracterização do sistema de produção do queijo artesanal da Serra Geral - MG

Abstract

The Serra Geral region was recognized as an artisan cheese producer in 2018, but the existence of a standardized production of this food is unknown. This work aimed to diagnose the manufacturing process of artisan cheese produ-ced in the Serra Geral region, evaluating the existence of a standardized production and the possibility of legalizing the cheesemakers. Visits were carried out with the application of a structured interview for 28 production units that make up the region. The results showed that 60.72% of the producers consider themselves inadequate in terms of the requirements demanded by artisan cheese manufacturing laws, and 46.44% of them do not know what must be done to adapt. The cheeses are commercialized in 2 to 4 days after their production, by 82% of the cheesemakers. Only 17.85% have a sanitary entrance, 72% do not have any water treatment and flaws were found in hygienic prac-tices in the production process, six production process flowcharts were observed. It is concluded that with adequate investments and policies aiming appreciation of artisan cheese from Serra Geral, it is possible to legalize it, a fact that has already been observed in other traditional artisan cheese producing regions. The possibility of conducting physical-chemical and microbiological studies of cheeses should be evaluated to investigate the quality and safety in their commercialization, avoiding any harm to the consumers.