MICROBIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF FRESH MINES CHEESE COMMERCIALIZED IN THE NORTHWEST REGION OF THE STATE OF PARANÁ

Fresh mines cheese is one of the most consumed cheeses in Brazil, it presents high humidity, highly perishable, not subjected to curing, with low percentage of salt and great manipulation during the manufacture, providing conditions for contamination, survival and multiplication of pathogenic bacteria as Salmonella sp., coagulase positive Staphylococcus and Thermotolerant Coliforms, which are capable of causing severe intoxications and food infections, being of outstanding relevance to public health, since it presents high endemicity, high morbidity and hospitalizations, leading to death in severe cases. Objetivo: was to carry out microbiological analysis of fresh mines cheese produced in the northwest region of the state of Paraná. Métodos: fifty samples of fresh mines type cheeses sold in the retail market were analyzed, put hut in thermal boxes and sent to the Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine of the University of Paranaense where did they go analyzed. Resultados: of the 50 samples evaluated, 71.8% were outside the standards established by the brazilian legislation. For thermotolerant coliforms (45ºC) and coagulase positive Staphylococcus, 70% and 63% of samples, respectively, presented counts higher than the established limits. There was presence of Salmonella sp. in a sample. Conclusão: the evaluated cheeses presented low microbiological quality, not complying with the microbiological standard for cheeses of high humidity as established by the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA).