| Congresso Brasileiro de Microbiologia 2023 | Resumo: 1231-1 | ||||
Resumo:Minas Gerais state is nationally known for the production of Minas artisanal cheese (QMA), which is a traditional activity in several microregions, such as Araxá and Canastra. However, the use of raw milk in cheese production can allow the transmission of zoonotic pathogens, such as Salmonella spp., a Gram-negative bacterium that causes severe gastroenteritis in humans and is transmitted mainly by animal source foods, such as meat, dairy products and eggs. The bacteria, which can be present in the feces of sick or asymptomatic cattle, can contaminate milk and cheese during the manufacturing process, especially in conditions of poor hygiene. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the presence of Salmonella spp. in QMA from Araxá and Canastra and in the “pingo” and milk used for their production, using the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) technique. For this, a total of 223 samples were used, divided into pingo (n=29), milk (n=27) and cheese (n=167), from 11 farms in Araxá and 18 in Canastra. Cheese samples were collected at different times, with 1, 7, 14, 28, 42 and 63 days of ripeness. All producers were registered with the Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária (IMA) as official QMA producers. Samples were identified and kept at -80°C until processing. DNA extractions were performed using the Dneasy PowerFood Microbial kit, Qiagen, according to the manufacturer's recommendations. The extracted DNA was used in PCR reactions targeting the ompC gene to identify the genus Salmonella. As results, among the samples from Araxá, nine were positive [10.97% (9/82)] for Salmonella spp., all of them from cheese, with 7 (n=2), 14 (n=2), 42 (n=4) and 63 (n=1) days of ripeness. Regarding Canastra, three cheese samples were positive [3/141 (2.11%)], with 1 (n=2) and 42 (n=1) days of maturation. Thus, a total of 12 [5.38% (12/223)] Salmonella spp. positive samples were observed in QMA at different stages of ripeness, which represents a potential risk to public health. It is worth mentioning, however, that the presence of DNA of microorganisms in the samples does not represent viability, being necessary to carry out a microbiological culture for this type of evaluation. In conclusion, there is potential risk associated with the consumption of QMA regarding Salmonella transmission. Palavras-chave: animal source food, food security, raw milk cheese, zoonosis Agência de fomento:Fapemig, CNPq, CAPES. | |||||