Microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of Cameros cheese
1999
Olarte, C. | Sanz, S. | Gonzalez-Fandos, E. | Torre, P.
Eighteen samples of Cameros cheese, a fresh Spanish goat's cheese, were collected from the four different producers of this regional kind of cheese. Physicochemical and microbiological analyses were carried out to evaluate the sanitary quality and the physicochemical characteristics of the product. The influence of the season of the year and the elaboration conditions were also studied. Cameros cheese is a fat cheese (54.2 +/- 6.5% of total solids; TS), with a high pH close to the neutrality (6.35 +/- 0.14), high moisture (TS value of 42.5 +/- 4.7%) and low salt content (0.78 +/- 0.30% of TS). Listeria monocytogenes was found in 5.6% of samples. Staphylococcus aureus counts above 2 log cfu g-1 were found in 55% of the cheeses studied. Thirty-three percent of the April samples and 67% of the July samples reached microbiological levels above the legally established standards. None of the samples yielded Salmonella spp. The dairy had a significant effect on salt content (P < 0.001) because different salt application methods were applied. Also significant differences (P < 0.01) of S. aureus counts were detected among the different dairies. Significant seasonal differences of non-protein nitrogen (P < 0.01) were detected. The season significantly affected the counts of Enterobacteriaceae (P < 0.01), mesophilic micro-organisms and psycrotrophs (P < 0.05) and yeast and mould counts (P < 0.05).
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