Safety of homemade cheeses produced by family farmers-a challenge for rural sustainability in Brazil

Seguridad de quesos caseros producidos por familias agricultoras-un reto para la sostenibilidad rural en Brasil

Luciana Oliveira de Fariña^I, Maike Taís Mazieiro Montanhini^II, Maria da Penha Píccolo^III, Deisy Alessandra Drunkler^IV, Ionara Casali Tesser^V, Luciana Bill Mikito Kottwitz^I, Fabiana André Falconi^I, Rosilene Zanetti Surdi^VI, Michelle de Medeiros Carvalho^I

^IUniversidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná-Campus de Cascavel. Paraná-Brazil. *E-mail: luciana.farina@unioeste.br.
^IIUniversidade Positivo-Curitiba, Paraná-Brazil. ]]> ^IIIUniversidade Federal do Espírito Santo-UFES, São Mateus, Espírito Santo-Brazil.
^IVUniversidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná, UTFPR, Campus Medianeira, Paraná-Brazil.
^VInstituto Federal de Santa Catarina, IFSC, Campus São Miguel do Oeste, Santa Catarina-Brazil.
^VIPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável, Campus Marechal Cândido Rondon, UNIOESTE, Paraná-Brazil.

The aim of this work is to present a discussion on the sanitary regulation problem of handmade cheeses produced in Brazil. There is an imminent requirement to conduct sanitary regulation of this production in the country to permit legalization of this activity. Actually the lack of a specific legislation that meets these necessity leads to a clandestine production that brings numerous losses to society. Scientific work made in states with the tradition to produce artisan cheeses indicates that most of the products available for consumption represent a health risk to consumers. Several samples of different types of artisan cheeses produced from north to south of Brazil, evaluated between 2001 and 2014, indicated that, on average, the frequency of contamination by agents causing outbreaks of food was above acceptable standards in 65.41% for thermo tolerant coliforms, 64.19% for S. aureus, 4.57% for Salmonella spp. and 4.58% for Listeria monocytogenes. While the problem is not solved with the adoption of effective measures, such as implementing a coherent legislation applied to farmers, who are responsible for the traditional artisan cheese production in our country, the problem will not be solved and everyone will be penalized: family farmers, public power, and especially consumers and this will represent a challenge for the rural sustainability of the family farming in Brazil. ]]>