Microbiological characteristics of ewes' milk cheese manufactured using aqueous extracts of flowers from various species of cardoon Cynara L

The microbiology of initial milk, curds and aqueous extracts of flowers fro m 2 cardoon species (C. cardunculus and C. humilis) used as vegetable coagu lant were studied. The evolution of the main microbial groups in 3 trials o f cheese manufactured using animal rennet and C. cardunculus and C. humilis th roughout ripening was also studied. Additional data on the moisture and lactic acid contents, pH, and water activity of the all cheeses studied ar e provided. The counts of total viable microorganisms, enterobacteriaceae, colifom, micrococcaceae, and yeast and mould throughout ripening were signi ficantly higher (p<0.001) in cheeses produced with vegetable coagulants (C. cardunculus or C. humilis) than those obtained in cheeses produced with an imal rennet. This confirmed the poor microbiological quality of cardoon ext racts and also the significant level of additional microbial contamination of cheese made with vegetable coagulants throughout ripening.