Microrganismos indicadores higiênico-sanitários em queijo artesanal elaborado a partir de leite de búfala (Bubalus bubalis): importância para o consumo seguro

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate the presence of hygienic-sanitary indicator microorganisms in artisanal cheeses made from buffalo milk (Bubalus bubalis), promoting discussion of the importance of consuming safe food. Thus, 20 samples of artisanal cheese produced in the municipalities of São Bento and Viana, located in the Baixada Maranhense region, were collected. In a laboratory setting, analytical units were removed for the enumeration of viable mesophilic and facultative aerobic bacteria and enterobacteria, in addition to the detection of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. using traditional and established microbiological techniques. Mesophilic aerobic bacteria were found in all analyzed samples, with bacterial populations ranging from 5.2 x 10⁶ to 5.94 x 10⁷ CFU/gram for butter cheese and from 8.28 x 10⁵ to 1.4 x 10⁸ CFU/gram for curd cheese. Regarding enterobacteria, it was found that 100% of the samples were contaminated with bacterial populations ranging from 2.4 x 10³ to 5.68 x 2.02 x 10⁷ CFU/g for butter cheese and from 6.7 x 10² to 1.59 x 10⁷ for rennet. Despite the high contamination with enterobacteria, E. coli and Salmonella spp. were not found in any of the samples. It is concluded that all samples analyzed met the minimum requirements for the E. coli and Salmonella spp. parameters established in Brazilian legislation. However, the high microbial load of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and enterobacteria suggests flaws in the production process, including poor quality raw materials, cross-contamination by handlers, contact of raw materials and cheeses with unhygienic surfaces, and inadequate product preservation