Hygiene Quality and Consumer Safety of Traditional Short- and Long-Ripened Cheeses from Poland

The aim of this study was the assessment of the microbiological quality of three types of traditional cheeses which are produced from raw and pasteurized cow’s milk. Two types of cheeses were of the short-ripened type, and one cheese was long-ripened. A microbial examination was conducted for the presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes microorganisms and the count of aerobic, psychrotrophic, lactic acid bacteria, and coliform bacteria, as well as Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., and yeasts. The examined cheeses did not fulfill the microbial criteria for food safety (presence of L. monocytogenes) and process hygiene (exceeded allowable levels of E. coli and coagulase-positive Staphylococcus). The levels of coliform bacteria, E. coli, and Enterobacteriaceae and the presence of Enterococcus faecalis determined in the three examined cheese types indicated that insufficient hygiene procedures were used during the production process. The results of the study indicate that the examined cheeses did not fulfill the microbial criteria for food safety and process hygiene according to the legislation. It is necessary to introduce correction procedures as indicated in the current report.