Caracterização física e físico-química do queijo Minas artesanal da microrregião Campo das Vertentes

Abstract

The Microrregião Campo das Vertentes in the State of Minas Gerais (Brazil) was officially recognized as producer region Minas artisanal cheese by Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária, through the publication on Portaria No.1022 on November 3, 2009. Although studies have been conducted by agencies of research and rural extension agencies have acted in order to improve the manufacture of this cheese, more researches are still necessary. In this context, this study aimed at the physical and physicochemical characterization of Minas artisanal cheese in this Microrregião in registered properties or in those where registration are in process. They are appropriated to the satisfactory conditions of good agricultural practices and manufacturing in accordance with the Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária. The data were collected from four properties that during this study fulfilled the legal prerequisites, located in three counties, São João Del Rei, Lagoa Dourada and Coronel Xavier Chaves. As methodology, it was done a plan for manufacturing, maturating, collecting and transporting of samples-cheese with the producers. It applied a diagnostic questionnaire aiming to up information on the manufacturing conditions. Climatological data of the region during the execution of this study were provided by the National Institute of Meteorology to observe possible influences of climate on physicochemical characteristics of the cheeses produced. Adopting a randomized block design with split plots. It evaluated three different qualitative factors: Period of the year with two levels (dry season and rainy); producer factor with four levels (producer 1, 2, 3 and 4) and maturation time factor with three levels (10, 20 and 30 days of maturation) using three replicates. Data generated the experiment were previously tabulated in a spreadsheet, and transcribed the System for Statistical Analyses (SAEG), which were verified to use the presupposition of parametric statistics, considering a significance level (p < 0.05).The following results were found: pH 5,15; water activity (aw = = 0,91); content (w/w) of (m/m) de total solids = 64,2%; moisture = 35,84%; FDM = 53,0%; mineral salts = 5,40%; fat = 33,8%; NaCl = 2,61%; salt-in-moisture = 7,32%; MNFS = 53,58%; total protein = 23,3%; extent of proteolysis = 12,02% e secondary proteolysis = 6,91%.It is concluded that content (w/w) of fat, total solids, extent of proteolysis, moisture in nonfat substances, moisture and salt-in-moisture were the physicochemical parameters that suffered the most variability among producers in the dry season period. In the rainy season this lack of standardization is perceived, in the content (w/w) of salt, Salt-in-moisture, extent of proteolysis and secondary proteolysis. Since the Salt-in-moisture and extent of proteolysis are the physicochemical parameters that suffered the most variation (lack of standardization) in both periods. The parameters that have suffered less dispersion in both periods were pH, water activity and percentage fat in dry matter and content of total protein. The Minas artisan cheese of Microrregião Campo das Vertentes, can be classified by federal legislation as fat cheese according to percentage (w/w) fat in dry matter (FDM = 53,0%). According to moisture content (w/w) - (35, 84%), as low moisture cheese (hard cheese) or average moisture cheese (semi-hard cheese), depending on the season of year. Suiting moreover to State of Minas Gerais legislation that determines a content (w/w) of moisture up to 45,9%.