The Taste of a Champion: Characterization of Artisanal Cheeses from the Minas Gerais Region (brazil) by Raman Spectroscopy and Microstructural Analysis

The production of artisanal cheeses is an important economic activity in different regions of Brazil, especially in Minas Gerais. In this work, 25 samples of artisanal cheeses were collected during the Ninth State Contest of Artisanal Minas Cheese from seven microregions (Canastra, Serro, Araxa, Campos das Vertentes, Serra do Salitre, Triangulo Mineiro and Cerrado). The Raman spectra of all analysed samples showed changes in the spectral pattern mainly in the 3050-2770 cm-1 region, i.e. bands from lipids, implying the main differences between the artisanal cheeses can be attributed to lipid quantity. SEM analysis, showing the structural images of the surface of all the artisanal cheeses, made it possible to observe the different characteristics in the samples. The major contribution of this study is the demonstration that Raman spectroscopy can be used to analyse qualitatively and quantitatively artisanal cheeses, as well as to understand the real chemical composition of a champion cheese.