Abstract
Minas Frescal cheese (MFC) is a Brazilian cheese with a pH close to neutrality, low sodium content, high moisture, and unripened. Unsatisfactory hygienic practices and inappropriate handling can compromise the safety of the MFC, allowing it to be contaminated by spoilage microorganisms and pathogens. Pink pepper is the fruit of Aroeira (Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi). It has essential oils that present bioactive compounds with antimicrobial properties. Microencapsulation of pink pepper essential oil (PPEO) can help preserve and increase the functionality of PPEO which can be affected by light and heat and add flavor to foods. The objective of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of PPEO, evaluate its antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, Salmonella Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli and verify the effect of its addition in microencapsulated form (MPPEO) in MFC on antimicrobial activity upon S. aureus and sensory acceptance. Among the PPEO constituents analyzed (95.36%), the major constituent was δ-carene (44.56%). PPEO showed an inhibitory effect on the multiplication of all foodborne pathogens. MPPEO reduced the S. aureus count by 1.53 log cycles after 30 days of MFC storage under refrigeration. MPPEO can control the S. aureus population without affecting the sensory acceptance of MFC. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-025-06298-9.