Léo Ramos Chaves / Pesquisa FAPESPSerrano, Coalho, Canastra, and Campo das Vertentes: flavor is improved by the diversity of the fungiLéo Ramos Chaves / Pesquisa FAPESP
A survey of the yeasts in 582 samples of 11 varieties of Brazilian cheeses resulted in a ranking of the biodiversity of these microorganisms. Caipira, produced in Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais, and Serrano, from Rio Grande do Sul, were ranked joint highest, each with 13 species. In second place was Campo das Vertentes, also from Minas Gerais, followed by Coalho, from the Northeast of Brazil. A team from the School of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas (FEA-UNICAMP), led by chemist Anderson Sant’Ana, examined 1,396 isolates (specimens) of yeast from 12 genera and 28 species. The predominant species in Canastra, Cerrado, and Serro, all made in Minas Gerais, was Torulaspora delbrueckii, while in Coalho and Manteiga, both from Pará, it was Yarrowia lipolytica. During milk fermentation, yeasts act on carbohydrates and release volatile compounds that contribute to the taste of the cheese (Food Research International, November).
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