Microbiological load of sheep milk from primary production to its processing

In the breeding with the average number of 200 sheep (Improved Valachian breed) with traditional hand milking in the Eastern Slovakia the microbiological load of milk during the process of primary production, transport, before and after pasteurisation as well as during dairy processing to cheese curd was observed. The results in the season 2004 were compared to those obtained at finishing of milking in the season 2003. The microbiological load of milk was observed using the bacteriological methods for determination of the presence of Staphylococcus sp. and other bacteria, and determination of the total number of staphylococci: a) in milliliter of pool milk sample b) the transport control - smears from transport tank and determination of the total number of staphylococci in the tank milk sample c) bacteriological examination of bulk tank milk in the dairy plant before and after pasteurisation, including examination of cheese curd. Bacteriological examination was carried out using the IDF methods, and the STAPHYtest (Pliva-Lachema, Inc. Karasek, Brno, Czech Rep.). Determination of total number of staphylococci was realised according to norm STN EN ISO 6888-1/A1. From our results it follows that after introducing the measures for increasing hygiene within the process of milk gaining and cheese production, the occurrence of staphylococci in the individual sheep milk samples in September 2004 was lower (10.5 %) than that in September 2003 (11.9 %). As well, the occurrence of plasmocoagulase-positive staphylococci was lower (0,6 x 10-compared to 0.9 x 10 sup (3) in September 2003). After pasteurisation no staphylococci were recorded as in milk as in cheese. Out of nineteen strains of Staphylococcus aureus examined by the Ridascreen Set A, B, C, D, E neither one strain produced staphylococcal enterotoxins (SE), but in two strains a gene for production of SE, type C was found. The measures introduced during the season 2004 led to the fact that total numbers of PC+ staphylococci in milk within the process of primary production and transport did not exceed the limit permitted by legislation, and after pasteurisation of milk and cheese curd they were not found at all.