Microbiological Study of León Raw Cow-Milk Cheese, a Spanish Craft Variety.

The levels of several microbial groups (aerobic mesophilic flora, aerobic psychrotrophic flora, lactic acid bacteria, Micrococcaceae, enterococci, Enterobacteriaceae, and molds and yeasts), and some biochemical parameters were investigated during the manufacture and ripening of four batches of León cow cheese produced from raw milk without the addition of starter cultures. The study of the microbial characteristics of this cheese constitutes the first step towards the establishment of a starter culture which would allow the making of a product both more uniform and safer from the point of view of health. The total microbial counts were high throughout the elaboration and ripening.