Abstract
SUMMARYThe aim of this study is to investigate the bacterial population in coalho goat cheese produced in the semi-arid northeast region of Brazil, to analyse the antibiotic resistance profiles of the identified pathogenic bacteria, to detect the staphylococcal enterotoxin genes and to evaluate the addition of autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with technofunctional properties for the control of Staphylococcus aureus growth. In the analysed samples, strains of Escherichia coli (N=11), Salmonella spp. (N=18), Listeria spp. (N=6) and S. aureus (N=9) were classified as multidrug resistant (MDR). The most commonly isolated pathogen from the studied coalho goat cheese was S. aureus. Its isolates were positive for the genes encoding enterotoxins A (sea), B (seb), C (sec) and D (sed). The autochthonous LAB with the potential to inhibit S. aureus were identified as Enterococcus faecium. These strains were selected for in vitro tests of protective, safety, technological and functional properties. In the coalho goat cheese food matrix, these selected autochthonous LAB were able to reduce the enterotoxigenic MDR S. aureus load by approx. 3 log units.
Highlights
Brazil is the largest producer of goat’s milk in South America, and 93 % of the goat population is concentrated in the Northeast region
According to the Brazilian Technical Regulation of Identity and Quality, coalho cheese is obtained by the coagulation of milk by rennet, complemented or not by the action of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB), stored under an average temperature of 10–12 °C and normally marketed up to ten days after manufacture [23]
In this study we reported an average of 6.2 log colony forming units per gram (CFU/g) of S. aureus in coalho goat cheese commercialized in the semi-arid region
Summary
Brazil is the largest producer of goat’s milk in South America, and 93 % of the goat population is concentrated in the Northeast region. Among the outstanding products of goat’s milk, the coalho cheese is a traditional product of Northeast Brazil, usually produced from raw milk and is greatly valued by consumers [1,2]. There is no standardization of the process, and the use of raw milk is common, endangering the health of consumers [2]. The absence of quality control standards for goat’s milk and dairy products in Brazil is a major hindrance to agribusiness specializing in dairy goats. The market access to these products depends strongly on the application of appropriate technology to obtain the quality standards required by legislation [4]
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