ABSTRACT
From October 2006 to May 2007, the microbiological quality of 30 samples of cheese of the type Minas Padrão sold in different supermarkets of the city of São Luis, MA, Brazil, was evaluated by the count of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, Staphylococcus coagulase positive bacteria, and examination for Salmonella spp. The average counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, psychrotrophic and Staphylococcus spp. were 5.4 x 106 CFU/g, 1.2 x 107 CFU/g and 1.7 x 105 CFU/g, respectively. In regard to the values obtained from the count of Staphylococcus coagulase positive bacteria, 6.6% of the samples submitted were out of conformance with the standard set by Anvisa. Regarding the examination for Salmonella spp., the presence of this microorganism was not detected in 25 g of the product, so the cheese was in conformance with the standards established for this organism. These results indicate that the cheese examined in this study had an unsatisfactory microbiological quality, meaning that the product could be an important vehicle for staphylococcal food poisoning.
KEY WORDS
Minas Padrão cheese; mesophilic; psychrotrophic; coagulase-positive Staphylococcus