Microbiota indigenous milk, mesophilic lipolytic and proteolytic colonial cheese matured, produced at different times of the year

Microbiota autóctone lática, mesófila lipolítica e proteolítica em queijo colonial maturado produzido em diferentes épocas do ano

SUMMARY

Cheese is the oldest form of preserving milk nutrients having nutritional, economic and cultural importance. The objective of this study was to identify the best time of the year for production, and period, in months, for maturation of traditional colonial cheese, through analysis of water activity, weight loss and counts of lactic acid, mesophilic microorganisms—proteolytic and lipolytic. Records of temperature and relative humidity (RH) were maintained. A completely randomized experimental design was used in a double factorial scheme, considering production periods and maturation times. For all production periods evaluated, there was a significant reduction in the periods for water activity values. The counts of lactic acid bacteria ranged from 10⁴ to 10⁹ CFU/g. There was also stability in the number of colonies for lipolytic mesophilic microorganisms, until the third month of maturation. Low counts of proteolytic mesophiles were observed for the samples produced in May and June (5.70 and 5.53 log), respectively. The production period for the months of May and June corresponding to RH of 80% and average temperatures of 15°C were the most effective for production. Due to the presence of Listeria, it is recommended to respect the minimum time of 60 days of maturation for commercialization.

Keywords:
dairy products; microbiology; pathogens