RESUMO
A total of 90 samples, [30 of each plain yogurt, Kareish cheese, and Ras cheese] were randomly collected from street-vendors, groceries and supermarkets of different sanitary levels in Mansoura city, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. All samples were subjected to sanitary, chemical and microbiological evaluation. The mean values of acidity% and fat% in plain yogurt, Kareish cheese, and Ras cheese were 0.644 +/- 0.106, 1.5 +/- 0.066, 1.97 +/- 0.0578; 0.64 +/- 0.124, 5.88 +/- 0.7004 and 48.94 +/- 0.43, respectively. Meanwhile, the mean values of protein%, lactose%, and SNF% in plain yoghurt were 2.2 +/- 0.094, 3.28 +/- 0.138 and 5.98 +/- 0.25, respectively. The mean values of salt% and moisture% in Kareish cheese and Ras cheese were 2.55 +/- 0.248, 2.38 +/- 0.079; 67.18 +/- 0.891 and 32.75 +/- 0.899, respectively. The main values of Staphylococcus aureus, Coliforms and Enterococci count in plain yoghurt, Kareish cheese and Ras cheese samples were 9.2x10[4] +/- 2.9x10[4], 4.12x10[5] +/- 1.3x10[5], 4.64x10[5] +/- 8.82x10[4]; 10.5x10[4] +/- 2.16x10[4], 6.65x10[5] +/- 1.27x10[5], 2.39x10[5] +/- 6.54x10[4]; 9.99x10[5] +/- 1.94x10[5], 3.73x10[5] +/- 6.11x10[4] and 3.38x10[5] +/- 9.17x10[4] cfu/g, respectively. The mean values of yeast and mold count in Kareish cheese and Ras cheese were 1.27x10[5] +/- 1.24x10[4], 3.82x10[4] +/- 3.48x10[3]; 1.16x10[5] +/- 4.24x10[4] and 7.06x10[4] +/- 3.27x10[4] cfu/g, respectively. Thus, strict hygienic measures should be followed during processing, handling and distribution to improve the hygienic quality of plain yoghurt, Kareish cheese and Ras cheese