Investigation of milk and some dairy products for fecal pollution indicators.

The goal of this study was to investigate milk and some dairy products for fecal pollution indicators. Therefore, 180 random samples of raw milk, Kareish cheese, Domiati cheese, processed cheese, ice cream and yoghurt (30 each) were collected from Assiut city. All the examined raw milk and Kareish cheese samples were contaminated with coliforms, and their percentages in Domiati cheese, processed cheese, ice cream and yoghurt samples were 23.3, 16.7, 93.3 and 46.7%, respectively, while, 60, 83.3, 6.7, 6.7, 56.7 and 36.7% of the examined samples were contaminated with fecal coliforms, respectively. 3.3, 33.3, 3.3, 3.3, 6.7 and 20% of the examined samples were contaminated with E. coli, respectively. The incidences of Enterococci were 83.3, 83.3, 26.7, 20, 70 and 40%, respectively, while Cl. perfringens was detected only in Kareish cheese samples in a percentage of 3.3%. It can be concluded that the high level of Enterococci in the examined milk and milk products samples declared that Enterococci is preferable as an indicator for fecal pollution.