Abstract
Minas artisanal cheese is the best known and most consumed type of cheese in Brazil. Prepared with raw bovine milk and starter cultures, these cheeses face many opportunities for post-processing contamination during their transport to commercial establishments as well as in how they are stored, displayed, and maintained for cutting/slicing at retail establishments. It is a common practice for retailers to purchase entire cheeses from the producers, cut them into smaller pieces for retail sale, and store them at room temperature instead of properly refrigerating them. This study evaluated the microbiological safety parameters of samples of Minas artisanal cheeses collected at retail establishments in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, to more realistically assess consumer exposure to the most common pathogens. Samples were submitted for investigation of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and the counts of total coliforms, Escherichia coli, and coagulase-positive enterotoxigenic staphylococci using culture and real-time PCR methods. A worrisome number of samples failed to comply with the current Brazilian legislation for foods in retail environments and presented more than one non-compliance issue. Results highlighted that quality and safety management tools, such as good hygiene practices and HACCP, in retail environments deserve more attention to reduce the possible risks to consumer health.
Highlights
We investigate the occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and the counts of coagulase-positive enterotoxigenic staphylococci, Escherichia coli, and total coliforms using both plating and molecular techniques
The use of the ISO methodologies indicated the presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes in one and three samples, respectively
When PCR was applied to the pre-enrichment broths, Salmonella spp. was evidenced in eight cheese samples and Listeria monocytogenes in twelve samples
Summary
In Brazil, the state of Minas Gerais is the largest cheese producer and is known for a great variety of cheeses, such as the traditional Minas artisanal cheese that is made from raw cows’ milk and endogenous starter cultures [3,4] The production of this type of cheese moves BRL 370 million (approximately USD 70 million) annually, corresponding to 35 thousand tons produced every year. The manufacturing process follows the tradition brought to Brazil by Portuguese settlers in the 18th century These cheeses differ regionally, mainly in the curd pressing phase: in Serro, the curd is pressed with bare hands, while in Canastra, Serra do Salitre, and Cerrado, a cheese cloth is used for the pressing phase and the maturation time chosen by each producer. Artisanal cheeses from Minas Gerais can have different textures and flavors, depending on the composition of the initial culture, raw materials used, and ripening conditions [3,4,5]
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