Microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of Cameros cheese

Eighteen samples of Cameros cheese, a fresh Spanish goat's cheese, were col lected from the four different producers of this regional kind of cheese. P hysicochemical and microbiological analyses were carried out to evaluate th e sanitary quality and the physicochemical characteristics of the product. The influence of the season of the year and the elaboration conditions were also studied. Cameros cheese is a fat cheese (54.2 +/- 6.5% of total solid s; TS), with a high pH close to the neutrality (6.35 +/- 0.14), high moistu re (TS value of 42.5 +/- 4.7%) and low salt content (0.78 +/- 0.30% of TS). Listeria monocytogenes was found in 5.6% of samples. Staphylococcus aureus counts above 2 log cfu g (-1) were found in 55% of the cheeses studied. Th irty-three percent of the April samples and 67% of the July samples reached microbiological levels above the legally established standards. None of th e samples yielded Salmonella spp. The dairy had a significant effect on sal t content (P < 0.001) because different salt application methods were appli ed. Also significant differences (P < 0.01) of S. aureus counts were detect ed among the different dairies. Significant seasonal differences of non-pro tein nitrogen (P < 0.01) were defected. The season significantly affected t he counts of Enterobacteriaceae (P < 0.01) mesophilic micro-organisms and p sycrotrophs (P < 0.05) and yeast and mould counts (P < 0.05). (C) 1999 Acad emic Press.