Micrabiological Studies on Locally Manufactured Cheese in Zagazig Markets

One hundred samples of Da~ietta and Kariesh cheese (50 each) collected from different localities in Zagazig and its suburbs were used for physical, chemical and mic-robiological examination.The physiGal examination revealed the presence of certain defects in body texture and flavour in most samplesexamined •. The mean sodium chloride content in examined sam-ples of Damietta and Kariesh cheeses was 8.68 + 0.34 and5.422 + 0.225 respectively.The microbiological examination revealed that the mean total colony count per gram was 43 x 107 ± 22 x 107and 101.037 x lOll ± 29.202 x lOll in Damietta and Kariesh cheese samples respectively.Coliform organisms were present in 66% and 100% of examined Da~ietta &~d Kariesh cheese sa~ples respectively.The ~ean counts (MPN/100 g) were 21.497 x 103 + 9.33 x 103 &~d89.04 x 1010 + 66.93 x 1010 :or both types respectively. Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, E. cloaca, E.liquifacience, Citrobacter freundii, hlebsiella aerogenes and K. ozaenae could be isolated from both types of cheese in varying percentages ranging from 6.06% to 32%.