Microbiological evaluation of industrialized and artisanal Minas fresh cheese commercialized in the Federal District, Brazil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of Minas fresh cheese commercialized in Federal District, Brazil. For this, 20 samples of industrialized cheeses were collected in supermarkets and 20 samples of artisanal cheeses were collected in public food markets. The analyzes performed were total count of bacteria, determination of coliforms, count of S. aureus and identification of Salmonella spp. (InvA gene) and S. aureus (SeC gene). The results showed that 26 samples (65%) were unfit for consumption according to Brazilian legislation. For industrialized cheeses, 6 samples (15%) of were unfit for consumption (3 samples for excess of thermotolerant coliforms and 3 samples for excess of S. aureus). For artisanal cheeses, all 20 samples (50%) were unfit for consumption due to the high S. aureus counts, including 6 samples that had excess thermotolerant coliforms and 1 sample that was contaminated with Salmonella. Comparing the results, industrialized cheeses showed better microbiological quality than artisanal cheeses. Thus, artisanal Minas fresh cheeses commercialized in the public food markets of the Federal District showed the presence of bacterial hazards, and there is an evident need for good hygiene practices in the entire production chain to ensure consumer food safety.