title: Microbiological Quality and Variability of Natural Microbiota in Croatian Cheese Maturing in Lambskin Sacks.
abstract: As in the traditional production of cheese in lambskin sacks raw cow's or sheep's milk is mostly used, the purpose of this study is to see how the production affects the microbiological quality of the cheese. To do that, we tested 39 samples of raw cow's and sheep's milk, curd, ripened cheese (15, 30 and 45 days) and lambskin sacks for native microbial population. Two-thirds of the milk, curd and cheese samples had higher counts of staphylococci and enterobacteria than permitted by regulations. Not a single sample hadSalmonellaandListeria monocytogenes, but we did findEscherichia coliin sheep's milk and cheese, and yeast and mould in both types of milk and cheese.Staphylococcus xylosusprevailed in lambskin sacks. Despite the high incidence ofS. aureus, even in the final product, staphylococcal enterotoxin was detected in only two sheep's cheese samples. Among the lactic acid bacteria,Lactococcus lactisandLactobacillus paracaseiprevailed in cow's cheese, whereasLeuconostoc mesenteroidesandLactobacillus plantarumprevailed in sheep's cheese. In the lambskin sacksLeuconostoc mesenteroidesandLactobacillus plantarumwere predominant. Our findings give an important insight into the fermentation and microbial ecology of the cheese in lambskin sacks.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Jadranka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frece
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic 'Marko Marulić', Petra Krešimira IV 30, HR-22300 Knin, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrdoljak
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Mija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Filipčić
authors.affiliation: Polytechnic 'Marko Marulić', Petra Krešimira IV 30, HR-22300 Knin, Croatia.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jelić
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Čanak
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Željko
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Jakopović
authors.affiliation: Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska cesta 143, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Jelka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pleadin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Braće Branchetta 20, HR-51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gobin
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Tibela Landeka
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Dragičević
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ksenija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Markov
keywords: cheese in lambskin sack; cow’s milk; microbiological quality; natural microbiota; pathogens; sheep’s milk