title: Artisanal Sonoran cheese (Cocido cheese): an exploration of its production process, chemical composition and microbiological quality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to explore and document the production process of artisanal Cocido cheese and to determine its chemical composition and microbiological quality, considering samples from six dairies and four retailers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cocido cheese is a semi-hard (506-555 g kg-1of moisture), medium fat (178.3-219.1 g kg-1), pasta filata-type cheese made from raw whole cow's milk. The production process is not standardized and therefore the chemical and microbiological components of the sampled cheeses varied. Indicator microorganisms significantly decreased (P < 0.05) during the processing of Cocido cheese. Salmonella spp. were not found during the production process, and both Listeria monocytogenes and staphylococcal enterotoxin were absent in the final cheeses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides more information on one of the most popular artisanal cheeses with high cultural value and economic impact in northwestern Mexico. In view of the foregoing, good manufacturing practices need to be implemented for the manufacture of Cocido cheese. Also, it is of utmost importance to make sure that the heat treatment applied for cooking the curd ensures a phosphatase-negative test, otherwise it would be necessary to pasteurize milk. Nevertheless, since Cocido cheese is a non-ripened, high-moisture product, it is a highly perishable product that could present a health risk if not properly handled. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Coordinación de Tecnología de Alimentos de Origen Animal (CTAOA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD), Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
authors.forename: Paúl F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Cuevas-González
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Coordinación de Tecnología de Alimentos de Origen Animal (CTAOA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD), Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
authors.forename: Priscilia Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Heredia-Castro
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Coordinación de Tecnología de Alimentos de Origen Animal (CTAOA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD), Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
authors.forename: José I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Méndez-Romero
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Coordinación de Tecnología de Alimentos de Origen Animal (CTAOA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD), Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
authors.forename: Adrián
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hernández-Mendoza
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Coordinación de Tecnología de Alimentos de Origen Animal (CTAOA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD), Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reyes-Díaz
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Coordinación de Tecnología de Alimentos de Origen Animal (CTAOA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD), Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vallejo-Cordoba
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Química y Biotecnología de Productos Lácteos, Coordinación de Tecnología de Alimentos de Origen Animal (CTAOA), Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo (CIAD), Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
authors.forename: Aarón F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: González-Córdova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002611:Cheese / Q000032:analysis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005223:Fats / Q000032:analysis; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008800:Mexico; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D012475:Salmonella / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D005223:Fats
keywords: Cocido cheese; chemical composition; microbiological quality; production process