MICROBIOLOGICAL CHANGES DURING MANUFACTURE AND RIPENING OF A NATURALLY RIPENED BLUE CHEESE (VALDEON, SPAIN)

The microbiological changes during manufacture of a Spanish blue-chees e made with raw goat's milk were studied. Throughout the whole process , lactic acid bacteria were the dominant group (8-9 log units/g, from salting onwards), with moulds and yeasts also being prominent during r ipening (7-8 log units/g). Micrococci and enterococci reached high lev els during ripening and at the end of the process (7 and 6 log units/g , respectively). Enterobacteria decreased from salting and remained co nstant during ripening, giving final levels of 4 log units/g. Changes of mesophiles, micrococci and moulds and yeasts in surface samples wer e similar. According to the evolution of the microflora throughout the process, several stages could be observed. These and the relation wit h the physico-chemical parameters were discussed.