BIO035 Contamination indicators survey in pressed ricotta commercialized in the South of Minas Gerais

Abstract

Ricotta is a soft cheese, not matured, prepared with serum or a mixture of serum and pasteurized cow milk (integral or skimmed). Characteristic of Minas Gerais’ culture, this type of cheese is also very consumed during diet periods, due to its low fat content. Intrinsic characteristics such as high water activity and high availability of nutrients make the ricotta extremely susceptible to the proliferation of microorganisms, mainly from the intense manipulation required by the production process. At the same time, serious disease outbreaks have been associated with the ingestion of dairy products contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella sp, besides other outbreaks associated with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, which indicates the importance of monitoring the presence of these microorganisms in ricotta.