The microbiological quality and fatty acid content of cheese in a sack

Sa？etak Indigenous cheese in a sack is a traditional form cheese making that requires strict hygiene conditions. The microbiological quality and fatty acids content of cheeses from ten different producers were investigated in this paper. Although L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Y. enterocolitica, and S. aureus were not found in any of the samples, 40 % of the cheese samples were contaminated with E. coli and 60 % with enterobacteria. The dominant fatty acids were palmitic and stearic acid. The poor microbiological quality of the samples analysed should be attributed primarily to the poor hygiene quality of the milk, but also to contamination during processing. These results indicate the need for improving hygiene practices in the production of cheese in a sack in order to meet the requirements to protect and promote this traditional product on the market