Monitoreo de la Calidad e Inocuidad Durante el Almacenamiento de Queso Fresco Elaborado Artesanalmente en las Parroquias Rurales del Cantón Riobamba

Abstract

Monitoring the quality and safety during the storage of fresh cheese produced in the rural parishes of Riobamba was carried out in the laboratories of Bromatology and Microbiological Research of the Faculty of Sciences of ESPOCH. A deductive-scientific method was applied, for which fresh cheeses were used, two conditions were established: ambient (3,5,7 days) and refrigerated (7 and 14 days), consumers were surveyed in the different markets of the city, then the production chain was followed from its elaboration to commercialization, and a bromatological analysis was carried out: Sensory characteristics, pH, humidity, acidity and microbiological analysis: Coliforms, Enterobacteria and Staphylococcus aureus, the materials used were specific culture media (VRB, VRBG and Baird Parker). In this research it was established that 90% of the population consumes fresh cheese and preserves it in two ways: under ambient conditions and refrigerated. The results of the bromatological and microbiological analysis show that 100% of the cheeses produced by the six cheese factories sampled on all days of storage and in the two environments are outside the regulatory limits. It is concluded that the production chain is deficient because the cheese shows high bacterial counts, making it unfit for human consumption. It is recommended that the cheese factories implement Good Handling and Hygiene Practices during the production of the product, which is essential to reduce the risk of intoxication and microbial contamination in order to guarantee quality and safety until it is marketed.