OBJECTIVE: To verify the occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus in a sample of cheese sold in a city of the Southeastern region of Brazil and assess the potential risk for the consumers. METHODS: Eighty samples of homemade cheese sold in a city of the southern region of Brazil were evaluated for the presence and the most probable number of Staphylococcus aureus agents. RESULTS: The study revealed the presence of S. aureus in 40 samples (50.0%, with a mean count of 10(5)/g. CONCLUSION: These results are worrisome because the Health Ministry has established a safety threshold of 10³/g, and the values obtained are close to the number of bacteria able to produce enough enterotoxins to cause a foodborne disease outbreak.
Cheese; Staphylococcus aureus; Food inspection; Food contamination; Staphilococcal food poisoning
