Occurrence of aerobic and anaerobic spore forming bacteria in some packaged soft cheese at Matrooh and El.Gharbia governorates

ABSTRACT

Forty-five samples of packaged white soft cheese [15 of Tallaga, Domiatta and Feta cheeses] were collected from Gharbia and Matrooh governorates. The samples were examined bacteriologically for the presence of aerobic and anaerobic spore forming bacteria. The obtained results indicated that 53.33% of Tallaga cheese samples were contaminated with aerobic spore formers followed by Domiatta cheese [46.67%], then Feta cheese [33.33%]. The mean values were 7.74x10[3] +/- 2.31x10[3], 3.51x10[3] +/- 1.07x10[3] and 8.96x10[2] +/- 2.63x10[2]/g. for Tallga, Domiatta and Feta cheeses, respectively. Moreover, the mean values of total B. cereuscounts were 1.38x10[3] +/- 0.68x10[3], 6.23x10[2] +/- 1.55x10[2] and 2.85x10[2] +/- 0.42x10[2]/g, for Tallaga, Domiatta and Feta cheeses, respectively with an incidence of 33.33%, 20% and 13.33% for tallaga, domiatti and feta cheeses, respectively. However, bacteria belonging to aerobic spore formers and anaerobic spore formers species were detected and identified in the examined samples of packaged soft cheeses in varying percentages. Furthermore, the results declared that Tallaga cheese were the most contaminated samples with anaerobic spore forming bacteria [73.33%], then Domiatta cheese [53.33%] and Feta cheese [40%] with mean values of total anaerobic counts contaminating examined samples of tallga, domiatti and feta cheese, were 2.17x10[4] +/- 0.82x10[4], 6.89x10[3] +/- 2.76x10[3] and 3.43x10[3] +/- 0.9x10[3]/g, respectively. The incidence of total C. Perfringens count in the examined samples of Tallaga, Domiatta and Feta cheese was 46.67%, 26.67% and 20% respectively with average counts of 5.36x10[3] +/- 1.49x10[3], 9.97x10[2] +/- 3.01x10[2] and 4.60x10[2] +/- 1.13x10[2]/g, for Tallaga, Domiatta and Feta cheeses, respectively. The public health significance of the isolated organisms and application of the sanitary measures for minimize and prevent contamination of the packaged white soft cheese samples with aerobic and anaerobic spore formers were discussed