ABSTRACT
From July to December 2002 the microbial quality of 60 samples of “minas frescal” cheese was analyzed, from which 30 hand made samples and 30 from dairy industry inspected by Federal Inspection Service. The microbiological results revealed that 86.7% from hand-made samples and 66.7% from dairy industry samples were not in standards permitted by the current legislation (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária – ANVISA), according to resolution number 12 of January 2nd, 2001. Of the hand made and dairy industry samples, 83.4% and 66.7% (> 5.0 x 102 MPN/g), respectively, were out of the standards for contamination by fecal colliforms. The values obtained by coagulase positive staphylococci count, 20% of the hand made samples and 10% of the dairy industry samples were not accordind to the standards permitted (5.0 x 102 CFU/g). As for Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Campylobacter spp., they were not detected in 25 g of the product, showing that, concerning these organisms, both sources of samples were according to ANVISA standards (absence in 25 g of the product). Our results reveal the potential risk to public health of the marketable “minas frescal” cheese when sanitation care is deficient.
KEY WORDS
"Minas frescal" cheese; microbial quality; health public