Microbiological quality and safety of raw milk and soft cheese and detection of autochthonous lactic acid bacteria with antagonistic activity against Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Spp., and Staphylococcus aureus.

This study aimed to characterize the microbiological quality and safety of raw milk and soft cheese, verifying possible associations between microbial populations, and the detection of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with antagonistic activity against foodborne pathogens. Raw milk (n = 36) and soft cheese (n = 18) samples were collected and submitted for the analysis of mesophilic aerobes, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, LAB, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (CPS), Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella spp. In all, 389 LAB isolates were randomly selected and submitted for antagonistic tests against L.

Foodborne pathogens and microbiological characteristics of raw milk soft cheese produced and on retail sale in Brazil.

The consumption of raw milk soft cheeses (RMSC), which are typically manufactured in small dairy farms under unsatisfactory hygiene conditions, is common in Brazil. Due to these production characteristics, this type of cheese is a potential carrier of pathogenic microorganisms, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and enterotoxin-producing Staphylococcus spp. Considering these characteristics, in this work, we aimed to detect the presence of these pathogenic microorganisms in RMC and to evaluate their microbiological quality.

Screening and enumeration of lactic acid bacteria in milk using three different culture media in Petrifilm Aerobic Count plates and conventional pour plate methodology.

This study aimed to compare Petrifilm Aerobic Count (AC) plates and the conventional pour plate methodology using de Mann-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS), Kang-Fung (KF) and Kang-Fung-Sol (KFS) culture media for screening and enumeration of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in milk. Suspensions of 10 LAB species in reconstituted powder skim milk and 30 raw milk samples, without experimental inoculation, were tested. For selective enumeration, all samples were previously diluted in MRS, KF and KFS broths and then plated in Petrifilm AC and conventional pour plate methodology, using the same culture media with added agar.