Samples of milk, curd, cheese whey, and cheese were collected in 10 farms located at the region of Serra do Salitre, Minas Gerais state. These samples were studied in relation to their lactic acid bacteria and yeast populations. The diversity of lactic acid bacteria species was lower than the diversity of yeasts in these samples. The isolated lactic acid bacteria were Lactococcus lactis, Enterococcus spp., Enterococcus faecalis, and Streptococcus agalactiae; and the yeasts were Debaryomyces hansenii and Kluyveromyces lactis. Only the species Enterococcus spp., Enterococcus faecalis, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides showed an increase in their populations during the production of the artisanal cheese. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts found in this study could be responsible by the sensorial characteristics of the artisanal cheese produced in the region of Serra do Salitre.
lactic acid bacteria; yeasts; Minas cheese; Serra do Salitre
