SENSORY, BROMATOLOGICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ARTISAN PRODUCED CHEESES AND SOLD IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF BELÉM/PA

Abstract

Food is essential and indispensable for life, one of the best ways to guarantee quality and longevity, because it makes our body function properly. Currently, foods derived from dairy products such as cheese have stood out in commerce due to their great appreciation, supply and demand, due to the taste for their varied forms of production added to their nutritional profile. The stages between production and commercialization may undergo changes and contamination that directly impact the quality of the product and the health of the consumer. Therefore, aiming to measure the quality and safety of this product, the present study aims to analyze the organoleptic parameters (appearance, color, consistency, odor and temperature); bromatological (moisture, ash, total titratable acidity, Ph, proteins and starches); microbiological (count of molds and yeasts, total coliforms, thermotolerant coliforms and salmonella sp). It is concluded that the analyzes presented present changes in sensory, bromatological and microbiological tests. All samples presented a temperature outside the legislation during their acquisition. The results found revealed that some of the samples analyzed did not comply with current legislation for microorganisms, molds and yeasts, coliforms, with problems being observed in the hygiene conditions of some establishments. None of the samples analyzed showed contamination by Salmonella spp. It is necessary to improve the steps involved in the production and commercial process due to the risks to consumer health, emphasizing compliance with good production practices, thus guaranteeing the quality of artisanal cheeses up to the final consumer.