Qualidade microbiológica de queijos artesanais comercializados em feiras livres

Abstract

Contaminated food poses a risk to the health of consumers, and especially to immunosuppressed individuals, the elderly and children. Cheese is a product widely appreciated and consumed throughout the world, being sometimes elaborated without standards of identity and quality and in unsatisfactory hygiene conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of artisan cheeses marketed in free fairs in the municipality of Pelotas-RS, and to verify the presence of genes producing classical enterotoxins in strains isolated from Staphylococcus spp. A A total of 29 cheese samples were collected, with moisture content analysis, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes, and Thermotolerant coliform counts and coagulase positive Staphylococcus. Strains isolated from coagulase positive and negative Staphylococcus were submitted to the PCR test to shed the presence of the genes producing staphylococcal enterotoxins (EE) A, B, C, D and E. Of the 29 samples analyzed, 13.8% (n = 4) presented Quantifications above that allowed by the legislation for Thermotolerant coliforms, and 76% (n = 22) for the coagulase positive Staphylococcus count. All the samples analyzed presented absence of Salmonella spp and Listeria monocytogenes, being in conformity with the current legislation. The encoders genes for staphylococcal enterotoxins B and C were found in 6 isolates of Staphylococcus spp, being for entertoxin C, one coagulase negative isolate and three coagulase positive. The cheeses marketed in free trade fairs proved unsuitable for consumption.