LISTERIA AND COLIFORMS IN SOFT CHEESES MA DE FROM RAW AND PASTEURIZEDMILK

91 soft cheeses nominally made from raw milk were examined concerning the content of coliforms, E. coli and Listeria sop. The activity of al kaline phosphatase suggested that only 46 % of 69 french soft cheeses were made from raw milk, while two of 22 german cheeses were made from pasteurized milk. With regard to the EC-hygienic standard 92/46, 69 % of the french cheeses made from pasteurized milk had coliform counts above 10(4)/g and 53 % above the maximum tolerable number of 10(5)/g. The number of 10(2) E. coli/g was exceeded by 16 % of the cheeses, and the maximum tolerable number of 10(3) E. coli/g by 12 %. 31 % of the french samples made from raw milk had more than 10(4) E. coli/g, and 3 % more than 10(5) E. coli/g. In contrast, 45 % of the german cheeses made from raw milk exceeded the limit for E. coli and 40 % of the samp les exceeded the maximum tolerable cell count. Out of 32 french cheese s made from raw milk L. monocytogenes was recovered from 15 cheeses an d L. innocua from 13 cheeses. In contrast, L. monocytogenes was recove red from 3 and L. innocua from 5 out of 32 french cheeses made from pa steurized milk. We found L. monocytogenes and L. innocua in 2 out of 2 2 german cheeses. The hygienic state of some soft cheeses examined was critical. On the other hand some cheeses showed that it is possible t o obtain a satisfactory hygienic quality of raw milk soft cheese, acco rding to the EC-hygienic standard 92/46.