Efeito da utilização de embalagem ativa na maturação do queijo Minas artesanal da Serra da Canastra

Abstract

Minas Gerais is the largest and most important artisanal cheese-producing state in Brazil. These cheeses are made according to historical and cultural traditions specific to each region, using whole, fresh, freshly milked raw milk obtained and processed on the farm itself. The artisanal cheese production chain holds great social importance, particularly in maintaining rural families. Due to the economic and cultural significance of this product for the state, there is growing concern regarding food safety, the quality of artisanal cheese, and the need for standardization to reduce defects and losses. In this context, the adoption of active packaging can be a promising strategy to ensure greater product safety and uniformity. The Serra da Canastra region, comprising approximately 800 producers, stands out as one of the main producing regions of Artisanal Minas Cheese (QMA), generating a significant socioeconomic impact and justifying investment in technologies such as the packaging studied. The ripening of these cheeses is a complex process involving a series of biochemical events responsible for the development of the final product. These transformations promote beneficial changes to microbiological safety at the end of this period. However, during the ripening process, adversities occur that result in defects, compromising both the quality and safety of the QMA. Due to these difficulties, many producers opt not to ripen their products. Furthermore, there is a significant difficulty in finding suitable packaging for QMA, ensuring the cheeses' biochemical and sensory characteristics are maintained. Given this scenario, this study aimed to evaluate the application of Pack-Age® packaging in artisanal Minas cheeses from the Serra da Canastra region and its impact on quality, physicochemical, sensory, and microbiological characteristics. Comparative experiments were conducted between cheeses packaged with Pack-Age® technology (QMAE) and cheeses without packaging (QMASE). As relevant results, it was observed that the packaged cheeses exhibited greater moisture retention throughout ripening (P<0.05), with an average moisture content of 39.14 ± 4.37% for QMAE and 35.51 ± 4.06% for QMASE. Water activity was higher in the packaged cheeses (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference (P>0.05) in the protein, fat, fat in dry extract, and chloride contents between the packaged and unpackaged cheeses. Furthermore, the cheeses in the different treatments exhibited similar behavior (P > 0.05) regarding proteolysis, texture profile, and color (instrumental) among themselves and throughout the ripening period. Counts of lactic acid bacteria, total and thermotolerant coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, filamentous fungi and yeasts did not differ (P>0.05) between the packaged and unpackaged cheeses; however, the ripening time was relevant in the development of the microbiota. The packaging favored uniform ripening, contributing to a thinner rind and a more attractive appearance, without compromising the product's sensory identity. However, further studies are still needed to verify its applicability for producers.