Does the collective manual press change Minas Artisanal Cheese characteristics from Campo das Vertentes region?

ABSTRACT The production of Minas Artesanal Cheese (MAC) is a centuries-old activity that involves a great deal of physical effort on the part of the producer, especially during the pressing stage, which is carried out by hand. Inspection agencies do not allow manual stainless-steel presses in MAC production. Studies are still needed to prove whether this technique changes the cheese characteristics. Therefore, this study tested two types of MAC production in the Campo das Vertentes region: traditional hand pressing and a new technology, a stainless-steel press. After the cheeses were made, analyses of their physicochemical composition and microbiological analysis were made, as well as their texture profile and instrumental color, over four ripening periods (7, 14, 22, and 30 days) to see if the pressing interfered with the characteristics of the MAC from the Campo das Vertentes-MG region. Pressing in a stainless-steel press did not change the main characteristics of the MAC studied, with changes only observed in some texture profile attributes. Therefore, a stainless-steel press is recommended in manufacturing and pressing MAC due to the health benefits for producers.