Microbiological quality and safety of Brazilian artisanal cheeses

Brazilian Artisanal Cheeses: Diversity, Microbiological Safety, and Challenges for the Sector

“…Their capability to produce organic acids from sugars during ripening causes pH drop and lowers the oxy-reduction potential. In addition, production of hydrogen peroxide, carbon dioxide, and bacteriocins may inhibit the growth of pathogens (Camargo et al, 2021).…”

“…In addition, this pathogen is also present in cheese due to improper handling (Dias, 2007;Neto and Zappa, 2011;Dittmann et al, 2017). High counts of S. aureus are the main nonconformities found in Brazilian artisanal cheeses, but there is a general lack of data related to staphylococcal intoxication in these products (Finger et al, 2019;Camargo et al, 2021). It is possible that microbial interactions in the cheese matrix suppress synthesis of enterotoxins or the strains that contaminate these products are not enterotoxin producers.…”

“…In addition to Minas Gerais in the Southeast region, which is by far the largest cheese producer state, artisanal cheese production is growing rapidly in other states (Figure 1), with cheeses for all tastes and purchasing power. Two recent reviews show complementary aspects of artisanal cheese production in Brazil: Kamimura et al (2019) characterized the technological, physical-chemical, and microbiological features of the main types of artisanal cheeses in the country, and Camargo et al (2021) discussed the quality and safety of these products and presented insights into the regulatory aspects of the production chain.…”

Staphylococcus aureus from Minas Artisanal Cheeses: Biocide Tolerance, Antibiotic Resistance and Enterotoxin Genes

“…S. aureus is the most common causative agent of mastitis in dairy cows, and a frequent contaminant in raw milk [18]. In this sense, coagulase-positive staphylococci in the artisanal cheese production system deserve special attention, as these microorganisms are frequent contaminants in cheeses manufactured with raw milk, such as the Brazilian Minas artisanal cheese, one of the best known and most-consumed cheeses in the country [19][20][21].…”

“…As occurrence of S. aureus in Minas artisanal cheeses is frequently reported [19][20][21], this study aimed to investigate if S. aureus isolates, obtained from samples collected from retail establishments in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, present tolerance to biocides and/or harbor antibiotic resistance and staphylococcal enterotoxin genes. The final objective was to contribute to a better understanding of the role of good hygiene and manufacturing practices in safeguarding consumer health, not only at cheese production level, but also in retail environments.…”