ABSTRACT
Fresh ricotta (whey cheese), owing to its technological characteristics and intrinsic parameters (pH and aw), is an excellent substrate for the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. On 19 July 2010, Campania buffalo ricotta cheese was assigned to the register of Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) by the European Commission, with EC Reg. 634/2010. It is mainly produced in the provinces of Caserta and Salerno around the rivers Garigliano and Volturno, the plain of the river Sele and the area of Cilento. This article reports the results of a 9-month monitoring (from May 2014 to January 2015) of ricotta samples aiming at evaluate the microbial status of some cheese factories, since ricotta is considered particularly suitable to judge the hygienic level of the dairy establishments. Four dairies were selected for sampling according to their different structural characteristics and the adequacy of both their premises and equipment.
ABSTRACT
High-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection was used for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), in "Diavoletto" smoked cheese. Such cheese is typically produced in the Sorrento peninsula, and it is smoked commonly with different materials of vegetable origin. The importance of the smoking generation material is proven by the attention that the EU is paying in indicating the list of wood that may be used to produce smoking flavor agents. The PAHs considered are classified as "probable human carcinogens" by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for sufficient data from animal bioassays. The smoked samples contained high molecular mass PAHs with different levels ranging from 0.12 to 6.21 microg/kg. The determination was carried out also on liquid smoking flavor agents, smoke-flavored cheese, and nonsmoked cheese to measure the level of contamination before the treatment.
