Agriculture sector is considered one of the most important economic
activities in Brazil contributing to the growth of the country's economy. According to
the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), Brazil is the fourth largest
producer and consumer of cheeses and behind Russia, the United States, and the
European Union. The cheese production in Brazil was consolidated with the arrival of
European immigrants, especially Dutch, Danish, and Italians. Brazilian cheese market
was diversified and currently presents a wide variety inspired in European cheeses like
Prato cheese and typically Brazilian cheeses such as Requeijão, Coalho cheese,
Manteiga cheese, and Minas cheese. The growing knowledge of biochemical and
microbiological characteristics of the cheese allowed the establishment of
manufacturing technologies for the production in the industrial scale of some cheese
varieties that were previously made in a totally artisanal way. In order to strengthen the
artisanal production and the regionality of some cheese varieties, including those
produced from raw milk, the Brazilian legislation has been endeavoring to ensure
cheese microbiological quality, especially regarding raw milk quality and minimum
ripening time. This attempt for improving the Brazilian legislation aims to ensure the
traditional production and the insertion of small producers into the market. This chapter
will present an overview of the cheese industry in Brazil, the history, regional
characteristics, manufacturing technology, physicochemical, microbiological and
sensory aspects of the main cheeses, as well as the challenges encountered by the
artisanal producers and the dairy industry.
Keywords: Endogenous microbiota, Geographical indication, Ripening,
Traditional cheeses, Brazil.
