Padrões sensoriais diferenciais de queijos minas artesanais produzidos nas microrregiões da Canastra e Araxá.

Among the artisanal cheese producing regions of the State of Minas Gerais, the Canastra region has stood out, especially after winning the Geographical Indication of Origin, in 2012 and launching the “Canastra Chees Region” brand, in 2014. Thus, the producers of the legitimate Canastra Cheese are being able to ass value to the product, as well as achieve positive results and a greater profitability. Given this appreciation and visibility, the interest in the inclusion of new producing municipalities, as well as the inclusion of new Canastra Chesse producers has increased considerably. However, geographical and political requirements are considered during the certification process rather than the sensory identity of each product. This makes producers located in neighboring regions, such as Canastra and Araxá, market their cheese with the indication of Canastra Cheese simply with the intention of promoting an increase in sales and, consequently, promoting a lack of standardization of the sensory characteristics of the products classifieds under the same Geographical Indication of Origin. Thus, this work aimed to describe the sensorial profile of the artisanal miners cheeses Canastra and Araxá using the Sorting methodology and define a set of differential sensory patterns that can be applied in the certification and registration processes of Geographical Indication of Origin of these microregions. Artisanal cheeses with 22 to 25 days of ripening produced by registered producers at the Miner Institute of Agriculture (IMA) in the cities of Canastra and Araxá regions were evaluated. One hundred consumers of artisanal cheese with a minimum frequency of consumption of once a week were recruited to perform the sensory tests. The participants of the panel were invited to evaluate the products and classify them into groups based on the similarities of their sensory characteristics, describing the characteristics of each group appropriately. It was found that the Sorting tool and the description of the consumer were useful for characterizing and defining sensory patterns of artisanal cheeses from the Canastra and Araxá regions. There was a good relationship between grouping, consumer description and the producing region. The Canastra cheeses were characterized as buttery cheeses, with yellowish crust and a sweet taste, while the Araxá cheeses were related to firm, brittle, creamy, salty and acid sensory attributes. These sensory descriptors will help in the process of geographical indication and certification of artisanal Minas cheese, adding value to the production chain.