Nisin reduces the Staphylococcus aureus count without changing the characteristics of artisanal Minas cheese from Araxá

Traditional Araxá cheese is produced with raw milk, which represents a risk to consumers’ health. The action of nisin (100 IU/g and 400 IU/g) against Staphylococcus aureus during the ripening of Artisanal Minas Cheeses from Araxá was evaluated, and nisin reduced the S. aureus count to less than 1 log CFU/g from the beginning to the end of ripening. Nisin slightly increased the pH and moisture content and decreased the fat content of Artisanal Minas Cheese from Araxá; however, with the lower bacteriocin concentration, these changes did not alter the ripening indexes, color, or texture parameters of the cheese, which changed only as a function of ripening. Nisin has the potential to limit the S. aureus growth in Artisanal Minas Cheese from Araxá, without changing the essential characteristics of this artisanal product.