The aim of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality and lactic-acid profile of artisanal coalho cheese. All cheese samples analyzed showed total coliforms, were thermotolerant, and had Escherichia coli, but all the values were within the standards established by current legislation in the country, and could be considered a food fit for human consumption. The cheese showed a heterogeneous microbiota, being constituted of all tested genus, such as lactobacilli, lactococcus, streptococcus and enterococcus, and confirmed the species: Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactococcus lactis.
artisanal coalho cheese; polymerase chain reaction; lactic-acid bacteria
